


Chocolate Seashell

by WriterandArtist27



Series: Starry Sky [11]
Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternative Lifestyles, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Oneshots-Turned-Story, Platonic friendships, Slow Burn, alternative universe, no one dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2020-11-26 08:17:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20927045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterandArtist27/pseuds/WriterandArtist27
Summary: Exploring an alternative universe where a Civilian Pianist was born in the world of Heroes. Accompanied by a former Unlucky Marine, the Tidal Blade, and a Dandelion’s Glory. UA High can’t expect having a Chocolate Fairy in their ranks. And neither does Shinsō, having more than one friend even after joining the Hero Course. [AU of The Sea and Stars, inspired by Lang’s Shell Game. Starring hylianhick and Wingbladeweaver1357’s OCs of Davy Jack and Hikari.]





	1. Oracion

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Shell Game](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16075865) by [Abalisk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abalisk/pseuds/Abalisk), [Liangnui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liangnui/pseuds/Liangnui). 
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I can't believe I'm doing this. But this story is here. A spin-off of The Sea and Stars, Seaside Sibling Train, Lang's Shell Game, and Wing-chan's Dandelion's Glory. Kei doesn't have her ninja burdens, Hikari can be a UA student without worrying about villains being jackasses, and Davy may still be unlucky, but he has an adopted little sister now!
> 
> Tomo was going to get to My Hero Academia at one point.
> 
> This chapter was originally posted in two parts, being a birthday present to hylianhick/Eli back in September and the unofficial start to Tomoko's role as the Chocolate Fairy in My Hero Academia. Note she is a first year in General Studies while Davy, Kei, Shinsō, and the rest of the MHA cast are all second years. Kei and Davy are in General Studies too while Shinsō has ascended to the Hero Course.
> 
> The theme for this chapter is Konomi Suzuki's orchestral rendition of Oracion, the ending to No Game No Life.
> 
> Enjoy the start to this weird AU!

_Chapter 1: Oracion_

A boy with pop-off purple hair was blushing to himself while looking over the moon in his thought process. "Who's going to get visited this year?"

Hanta Sero gave him a weird look while passing by to collect his school bag. "What do you mean by visit?"

"You know who, man! The Chocolate Fairy!"

With all the inflection of a dented pan, Sero said, "…Are you shitting me, dude?"

Mineta's smile quickly turned upside down as his voice went up in pitch almost vehemently. "No, I'm not! It's something UA's been seeing. Apparently there's a first year girl in General Studies who goes around with a gift bag, giving chocolates that you can't get anywhere else on Valentine's Day!" He proceeded to clasp his hands together in a semblance of prayer, looking up towards the classroom ceiling like it was the Heavens. "The teachers shush everyone up because they want us to focus on our studies, but the rumor is that when you get the chocolate, you're blessed with happiness and good luck for the rest of the year!"

"That's probably just bullshit made up by a desperate guy, man. And I bet you'd just want to look up the girl's skirt more than get her chocolate."

"Sheesh, just let me believe!" he paused, and then drool proceeded to leak from his lower lip. "Though maybe if I get to see her, would she be stack—"

A passing-by Kirishima proceeded to smack the back of Mineta's head with a somewhat hardened hand, withering stare pointed into the purple bumps that made his classmate's hair. "That's unmanly and you should stop that."

* * *

"Haa… haa… _achoo!"_

The wind was knocked out of a girl's nose for a moment before a tissue was gently being pushed in her direction. "You okay, Tomoko-chan?"

"Mm…" Tomoko sniffled before taking the offered tissue and blowing her nose in it, making a noise akin to a baby elephant in the process. "I think someone was talking about me, Ochako-chan…"

"You sure?" Ochako bounced on her school shoes while giving her a warm smile, tissue box already in her hands in case of another sneeze. "You're sweet, Tomoko-chan, but I don't think you stand out as much as the Hero classes."

Tomoko fondly rolled her eyes, throwing her tissue wad into the nearby trash can while taking a step forward to lightly nudge the future Hero Uravity with her shoulder. "I'm not Hero material, Ochako-chan, I just like helping people in my own way. Without money or fighting. Chocolate is my thing, so chocolate we go for Valentine's Day."

It took a single second for the words to settle into the future Hero's ears.

"Eh — Valentine's Day?" Ochako's brown eyes were gleaming in her direction now, and Tomoko took a small step back once the Hero student got close with a wide smile. It was rare for anyone to get chocolate made _without_ ChocoTouch working its magic aside from Tomoko's family, so for her to say that— "Am I getting one?!" Ochako's heart was soaring from anticipation and the slightest bit of hunger in her stomach. "Am I getting your homemade chocolate?!"

"N-Not so loud!" Tomoko glanced around, then ducked her head to hide the blush starting to heat her face with her bangs. Even with the red on her cheeks, she still admitted in a quiet voice, "…Well, you're the first person on my Delivery list."

Ochako proceeded to squeal softly before wrapping her arms around her friend in a tight hug.

"O-Ochako-chan, hey—" Tomoko hugged back, but the realization was too late once her feet were no longer on school grounds, "I love you too, but we're floating?! Ochako-chaaaaaan!"

It took Eraserhead's capture weapon to take the two girls down once they were touching the ceiling.

* * *

"Hm." Neito Monoma of Class 2-B was twiddling his thumbs on his desk while leaning back in his chair. "Today is Valentine's Day."

"Why are you paying attention to that?" Kendo asked curiously while passing by with a stack of class papers, absently readying a fist in case if he needed to get knocked out again. Still, there didn't seem to be any trouble (yet), so she could keep it on the wayside. "I thought you'd be on about Class A again."

"Not today, Kendo!" He raised a pointer finger in the air while smirking. "Normally, the demons of Class A _would_ be on my mind—"

"They're _not_ demons though," Kendo interrupted with long-suffering patience.

"Not my point," Monoma shrugged, not even fazed while continuing with a casual voice. "But today is _Valentine's Day. _Those Class A dogs have been spreading a rumor of a 'Chocolate Fairy,' so I'm waiting around to see if they'll show up!"

Kendo's jaw dropped, but she quickly caught herself and closed it. "Fairy?"

"A fairy that brings happiness and good luck if you receive a homemade chocolate from her." Monoma closed his eyes while putting his feet atop his desk. "So. Since _I _have been working hard as a Provisional Hero, I _should _get one of these chocolates."

It took a moment for Monoma to realize the quiet giggling behind him is actually _Kendo's _laughter. "Oh, I don't think so, Monoma. That's not how chocolates work…"

Monoma holds back a frown, instead keeping up his confident demeanor with a wave of his hand. "How do you know that?"

Before he got an answer, the classroom door that was at the front proceeded to slide open. "Because she's here!" Kendo's voice is suddenly filled with glee, and Monoma slowly blinks his eyes open to get a glimpse of a red hair ribbon.

"Kendo-chan, Kendo-chan! Chocolate delivery for Itsuka Kendo-chan!" goes a happy, high-pitched voice.

Kendo could've easily melted in Monoma's eyes from how her voice turned soft and sweet. "Over here, Tomoko-chan!"

Monoma squinted at the new face, rubbed his eyes, and found himself trying to squint again.

The person who was at the door was in no way a fairy. With the General Studies UA uniform, the only points that stood out were the two red hair ribbons framing the girl's face and the large pink glitter gift bag hanging from her right wrist. The black hair braid on the left side of her face and the bright blue eyes merely confirmed the so-called "fairy's" identity. "Class 1-C's Hoshino-san?" Monoma was confused. _This _General Studies girl was the Chocolate Fairy? How?

"Kendo-chan, Kendo-chan!" Tomoko waved happily towards his classmate, and Kendo herself seemed brighter in aura as she put her papers down to run over. "I found you! Your gift for the year is here!"

Tetsutetsu nearby looked almost constipated as he pointed between Kendo and Monoma. "How— how—" he balks with a groan and proceeds to go about smacking his head into his desk. "Lucky! Chocolate on Valentine's Day!"

"Yay!" Kendo's smile was blinding even from the back where Monoma sat considering how fast she reached Tomoko's side. It was honest too. Huh? "Thank you, Tomoko-chan."

The girl known as Tomoko simply grinned back while reaching into her bag, taking out a medium sized star package to gently deposit into Kendo's waiting hands. "Make sure to eat it before it melts, Kendo-chan." She's humming and it doesn't take long for her to wrap her arms around Kendo in a hug. Hell, it doesn't even take a _second_ for Kendo to affectionately return the hug, and Tomoko is giggling. "You like?"

"I _love_ it," Kendo gushed happily, squeezing the General Studies student and her chocolate to her chest before letting go. "Thank you for visiting, Tomoko-chan."

"Aye!" Tomoko salutes once with a happy chirp of, "Enjoy the chocolate!", and then Kendo gently waves her off as she proceeds to, quite literally, skip off towards the next person. "Tetsutetsu-san! Chocolate for you too!"

Tetsutetsu raised his head almost immediately from the wood of his desk as his eyes widen. "Wait — I get one too?!"

If Tomoko was beaming before, she was now positively _shining. _Monoma had no clue how she was pulling it off. "There's a package in my baggie with your name on it!"

"SWEET!"

The next few moments in break went like that. Tomoko happily announcing the surname of the student in question, giving them a package, and then glancing in her glittery pink bag for the next gift. About 5 students received gifts, and Monoma kept his ears open.

"Hmmm, my delivery list is done here!" What— no no, nononono, she wasn't calling out _his _name?!

"Wh-What about me?" Monoma says shakily, standing up from his seat.

As if seeing him for the first time, Tomoko turns to give him a befuddled look. "Wait…" she blinks, "Monoma-san, right?"

"Y-You do have chocolate for me, right? RIGHT?!" He couldn't help but scream it like he did his Class A rants because this couldn't be the end of it. Kendo couldn't be anything but _lucky_, right?! "Something?!"

Tomoko's smile dropped for a withered 'o' expression as understanding shined in her eyes. "Um. I'm sorry," she admits, a bit quieter, "but I'm limited on chocolates I can give. This is a special occasion for friends. And, uh, I don't exactly know you…?" Her voice cracks at the last bit. "I'm sorry!"

His heart breaks at that and Monoma can do nothing but slump into his desk from shame. "Oh, come on…"

_I work hard too! Why can't I be blessed with good luck…?_

He doesn't raise his head until there are footsteps and the soft clack of the door closing, and then there is a small bit of rustling near him. "Oh, don't worry, Monoma." Kendo's voice. "You still have something."

"What's that…?" he bemoaned, doing his best to ignore her. "You're just raring to hit me, aren't you?"

There's a _bump _on the back of his neck, and he blinks. Where did that come from? "Not this time."

Monoma slowly sits up to find the weight on his neck gone and a small offering of Hershey's Kisses sitting in a light lavender gift bag near his hands. "The 'Fairy' is too nice," Kendo commentates dryly, but the smile on her face is undeniable. "So quit sulking and next time, ask a week in advance."

* * *

The General Studies classrooms often served as alternative meeting places for students aside from the cafeteria, since the Hero kids often dominated Lunch Rush's attention. Today was no different, in spite of Davy, Kei, and Shinsō sharing different classes as second years. Two were General Studies residents, one was a Hero-in-training. Place your bets as to who's who.

Davy teasingly raised his water bottle in the air, announcing in his best PR voice, "Cheers to being single?"

Kei paused her sipping of coffee to raise her paper cup towards Davy's bottle, clinking them together. "Cheers to being single," she agreed dryly. "Valentine's Day is too much."

Shinsō gave them both a questioning stare, but raised his can of juice to complete the informal "toast" with a roll of his eyes. "Cheers to being single."

"Here here," Davy finished with exaggerated flourish in his voice, putting his bottle down to twist the cap open and chug some of the water down. "Love is hard to find, BUT!" Kei and Shinsō both blinked at him as soon as Davy sat up in his chair to put a foot on the edge of the nearest desk. "That doesn't mean chocolate is not appreciated! We will be visited soon!"

"By _who?" _Shinsō says incredulously, pulling on Davy's free arm to get him back down from whatever high he was on. "Last I checked, we don't have 'high school sweethearts,'" emphasized with air quotations, "and that declaration nullifies everything about the toast we just did."

Davy sat down but still gave Shinsō a shit-eating grin. "About that—"

As if on time, the classroom door swung open. A red hair ribbon peeked past the doorway first before blue eyes inched around the opening. "Nii…?" The new _girl_ glanced around the classroom, looking more and more meek with each passing second. "Nii, are you in here…?"

Shinsō didn't even have time to respond before Davy jumped up from his seat with a happy squeal of, "TOMO!" He waved his hands wildly in the air before abandoning his seat entirely and running over to the doorway. Out of shock or what have you, Shinsō turned to Kei in the hopes of an explanation only to find her not even fazed, chuckling under her breath once Davy reached his target to start what could've been a movie scene of a hug. "My baby sis~! You found me~!"

"Nii…!" The aptly named Tomo cried, her voice muffled from being in the middle of what appeared to be a crushing hug, but happy nonetheless. "I found you!"

"You good girl, _you_,_"_ Davy gushed while brushing through the girl's short black hair, and at this point, Shinsō was starting to wonder if this was even the same person who had the worst luck in existence for his Quirk. "You found me, you found me!" Shinsō couldn't help but wonder. Davy was said to be "unkillable" thanks to his Quirk, but was this his _Kryptonite _or something? All it took to "kill" him was a simple first year girl who shared the Japanese characters for "Friendship" in her name? "Were you able to deliver everything you made before finding me?"

"Mm, it took a little while, but everyone liked it!" Tomo squirmed in the hug for a single second before Davy decided it was about time to let go, and by then, Shinsō could take in her appearance. Two red hair ribbon bows, one accentuating the braid on the left side of her face. Bright blue eyes. Shoulder guards that obviously said "General Studies." Did Kei know her or something? "That reminds me, Nii! I have your chocolate too!"

"Oh, really~?" Davy was still humming and judging by the happy expectant look on his face, he was definitely humoring his little sister. "You didn't have to, Tomo~"

"I wanted to!" Tomo was pouting in protest at his teasing, but quickly deflated with a squeak as soon as Davy squished her cheeks. "_Muuuuu,_ Nii! Stop!"

"_Hahahaha,_ so soft, so soft," Davy was cooing before letting her go after Tomo gave him the appropriate stink eye. Once he was a far away distance, Davy tilted his head towards the pink bag in her hands. "Enough with the love though, Tomo, I'm not the only one who's getting chocolate today, right?"

Tomoko flushed an unhappy pink, probably out of being called out or what have you, Shinsō had no clue, but still nodded, glancing at Kei for a second before taking a breath. "Call me out, Nii, why don't you," was the mutter, but she still raised her bag to reach into it. There was some rustling and Shinsō watched as she bit her lip, clearly looking for something before her eyes lit up. "Delivery for…"

Shinsō did not miss how Davy sat back in his seat to start an informal drumroll on the desk in front of him with his hands, nor how Kei added onto it with drumming her knees. What the hell was this?

Shinsō was not expecting Tomoko to round on him and pull out a heart-shaped package to offer to him with a smile. "Hero Department Second Year Hitoshi Shinsō-san! Your annual homemade chocolate!"

"…What?" was all he could find himself saying. The leaden weight on his heart that came with competing with everyone else already in the Hero Department lessened significantly with the words, and he blinked at the gift. It wasn't even a bright neon pink that was symbolic of what made everything about Valentine's Day _troublesome_, rather a soft yellow color of some kind and when raising his head, Tomoko was still smiling. He didn't even _know _this girl existed until now. Why was she offering him chocolate? "For me?"

"For you," Tomoko hummed, still offering it to him with an extra gesture of her gift-hand. "Any friend of Kei and Nii's deserves something nice and sweet on Valentine's Day!"

_There's no way this is happening._

"But," he turned his head away, disbelief flooding him instead. "Get to the point," he chewed out, shaking his head while pushing the package away. This was impossible. Totally impossible. "That's just a bluff because you're in General Studies and want a one-way ticket to the Hero Course without working."

"Hey," Shinsō was not expecting Kei to cut in with a harder voice. What? "I get you have a lot of problems trusting people, but Tomo's not like that."

A hand suddenly whapped the back of his head, and Shinsō blinked to get the stars out of his eyes. _Ow._ Davy was withdrawing his hand and he was looking offended. "If you need me to taste-test it for poison, I can. But don't say that, man. My little sister is an _angel _and she means every single word she says."

"I love you two a lot too, but can I _please_ talk for myself?" Tomoko was pouting when he turned back to meet her eyes, and then her gaze morphed to some kind of understanding Shinsō couldn't read as she shook her head. "It's not about me being in General Studies and you being in the Hero Department. All I see is a friend of a friend who might've needed something sweet today. Having a special other or not." Tomoko smiled and still pushed the package back towards him. "So, Hitoshi Shinsō-san, your chocolate. It has your name on it and made with all the blood and tears I can offer."

Before Shinsō could say no, she gently pushed the chocolate into his hands, adding, "If you're not gonna take it otherwise, think of this as a reward to your efforts on being a hero! Because I think you'll be a great one!"

It took a second for him to realize his face was burning. His hands probably could've dropped the chocolate if not for the desk under his arms.

_Holy shit, that actually happened._

Tomoko inclined her head at him, smiled a bit wider, and then reached over to gently nudge his hand with hers. "Happy Valentine's Day, Shinsō-san."

"…You're weird," he concluded dryly.

"_Everyone _is weird," Tomoko beamed with another hand nudge, not even fazed as she rocked back and forth on her school shoes. It could've been like the sun was shining with how much she was smiling. "And that's fine!"

Shinsō blinked and before he could say anymore, his phone vibrated and he took that chance to duck away and get out of the classroom.

He could handle the chocolate on his desk later.

* * *

"Oh. Uh. Nii! Your chocolate is here too!"

"Yay, thank you, Tomo~!"

"Aaaaaaand," there was another impromptu drumroll, "one for my bestie Kei!"

Kei rolled her eyes but returned the sudden tackle hug anyways. "Thanks, Tomo."

Tomoko was humming over Kei's shoulder, snuggling closer that showed how she was clearly happy. "Valentine's Day is Friends and Family Appreciation Day too! No 'Singles Awareness Day' here when everyone deserves to be happy!"

Kei snorted. "Whatever you say, Tomo."

_Growl—!_

It was now the "Chocolate Fairy's" turn to turn red as Tomoko lurched back almost immediately. "…Pretend you didn't hear that?"

Davy proceeded to plant his face into the wall. "Tomoooooo! Where's your bento?!"

"Um." There was some shifting. "I think I left it in the locker rooms…?"

Goddammit. Kei put her face into the palm of her hand while reaching into her backpack for the right package. "Now get some onigiri for lunch or _so help me, _Tomo. Stop overworking yourself."

* * *

> **TMNT-TNT: **So.  
**TMNT-TNT: **What did you think?  
**Purble: **Your childhood friend is weird.  
**Purble: **How can she not get tired making all that chocolate?  
**Purble: **Monoma was yelling about a Fairy the entire time he found out.  
**Purble: **I blame you if my eardrums get blown out by the end of today.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Tomo always has her ways.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Davy recommends giving her a blanket and food next time you see her. I agree with it.  
**Purble: **…Why?  
**TMNT-TNT: **She's bad at taking care of herself.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Worse than me taking care of my phone bad.  
**TMNT-TNT: **And you didn't answer my first question.  
**TMNT-TNT: **How was the chocolate?  
**Purble: **…It was good.  
**TMNT-TNT: **:) So does that mean it was Purrfect?  
**Purble: **Shut it.  
**TMNT-TNT: **:p never!  
**Purble: **Don't you have Literature homework to do?  
**TMNT-TNT: **I'm gonna need help on that.  
**Purble: **You suck.

* * *

"Hey. Hoshino."

"Hm?" Those blue eyes from before were looking up at him now, and the nearby tabby cat batted at the girl's offered fingers. "Shinsō-san? G-Good morning!" The unsure line on her face transformed into a warm smile as she used her free hand to wave. The cat nearby meowed in protest, insisting on pets judging by its headbutting towards her occupied hand. Hoshino glanced over once, blinked, then took on the same unsure smile as before as she cupped her fingers to pet the cat's head. "I know, Yumi, I love you too. You pretty, beautiful kitty. You are so cute."

Shinsō found himself kneeling close to her, inclining his head. "You know this cat?"

Hoshino turns to him and smiles again. The smile is a bit more confident and loving. Monoma's moniker of "Fairy" was starting to make more sense now. "Her name's Yumi. She's a cat I've been seeing around my uncle. I help take her out every now and then when he's busy with paperwork." Yumi proceeds to bat Hoshino's occupied hand with another meow, and she giggles. "Oh, what are you asking for now, Yumi? I'm sure Uncle fed you a while ago."

_"Mroooow."_

"I love you too, you beautiful cat, but I don't know what you're saying."

There was a flick of a paw, and Shinsō could've sworn Hoshino winced. Was she scratched? _"Mrow!"_ Judging by the newest scratch on Hoshino's hand, that was a yes.

Huh. Shinsō finds himself snickering before he can stop himself. "It looks like she wants to play more than be petted, Hoshino."

"E-Eh?" For the first time, Shinsō bears witness to Hoshino blushing, and the pink colors her cheeks faster than fire. It probably would've put Todoroki's flames to shame. "Th-Thanks for that input," she squeaks, "but I'm not sure how to play with her? She's kinda…" Hoshino then winces, cradling the hand that was previously petting Yumi, and Shinsō doesn't miss how there's blood beginning to stain the tips of her fingers. "She can get kinda rough with her claws. I think her scratching boards are extra tough or something." Hoshino quiets down after that, ducking her head away from him to hide her cheeks, exposing her hair ribbons to the world's view. "Yeah…"

Shinsō rolls his eyes. Where did that chocolate-giving confidence go? "I can grab a toy if you need it. I have a couple in my room."

It does not take long for Hoshino to look up at him again, and he doesn't even have to meet her eyes to know she's sparkling. "R-Really? But," Hoshino goes quiet again. Almost shy, like Midoriya. "I don't want to trouble you."

Shinsō hides a snort and proceeds to offer his fingers to Yumi instead. He can feel Hoshino's gaze on him again as Yumi takes a moment to sniff his hand. Without a single sound, the cat proceeds to rub her face against Shinsō's fingers in approval, and he smiles. "It's fine. I like cats."

A sigh echoes in the air nearby and it takes less than a second for Shinsō to pinpoint its source as Hoshino. "Well then, I guess that's one similarity we have!" A pause follows before the same hand from before reaches for Yumi and the cat eagerly takes the pets. "I… I kinda thought you were angry with the sudden chocolate delivery. N-Next time, I can ask before making?"

_What is with this girl? _Before today, Shinsō already guessed that Hoshino was a dork considering her older sibling in Davy and friend status with _Gekkō _of all people. But really? _Really? _"Nah," he says, as much as it's embarrassing to admit, "the chocolate was good. And…" it takes a while to say it, but he bites it out anyway, as cheesy as it is. "Thanks."

"Eh?"

Shinsō rubs the back of his neck while absently making sure Yumi doesn't claw him. "For saying I'd make a great hero. It means a lot."

"Oh!" The sparkles come back almost immediately and Hoshino smiles. "I meant every single bit of it! You'll do great, Shinsō-san! Especially since—"

_"Purrrrrrr."_

Hoshino giggles again, and this time it's a happier sound. "This is the first time I've seen Yumi like someone on the first impression! That must mean you have the good heart of a hero!"

The cat meows happily and bats Shinsō's hand for more attention. Shinsō snickers too and lightly taps the top of Yumi's head. "Alright, alright. I can go get the toy now?"

Without skipping a beat, Hoshino reaches over to gently hoist Yumi up into her arms, still leaving enough space for Shinsō to pet her. "I can follow!"

_"Mrow," _Yumi says neutrally on the situation.

Shinsō blinked. "Huh. I can definitely see where you got things from Davy and Kei-san. You _definitely _are reckless, Hoshino."

"Eh?" Yet again, Hoshino is caught off guard, blinking. "I'll… take that as a compliment?" But Hoshino giggles anyways, her cheeks flushed pink from happiness or what have you. How weird. "But it's a good time to get to know you as a friend anyways, Shinsō-san!"

_"Meow!" _Yumi protests in Hoshino's arms.

Hoshino glances down at the cat, smile never breaking, and adjusts her hold so Yumi can sit on top of her hands. "I love you too, pretty kitty."

Hm. Shinsō shrugs, rubs the back of his head to hide his bafflement, and points to the next block. "Let's go then."

"Aye aye, sir!"

_"Mrow."_

Shinsō couldn't help but wonder when he attracted a train of people. Technically a train of a girl and cat. It was almost the same thing aside from size differences. Maybe asking Davy and Gekkō would give him an answer. Maybe.

* * *

_A/N_: [Cover artwork for this story here](https://writer-and-artist27.tumblr.com/post/188173661619/image-description-a-fully-colored-piece-of-an). :) 


	2. Hike Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Originally written when I finally got back into watching My Hero Academia. Shinsō reminded me way too much of Leo, aaaand I had a nice date with Leo at the time, so the idea came to me. This is based off of an experience I had while in Iceland. Let's just say there's more to things in life when there's no life-ending drama going on. And for once, the ninja don't even get more than a few lines of dialogue. :p
> 
> A direct sequel of sorts to the first chapter.
> 
> For a theme, I recommend Theister's piano cover of MHA's Peace Sign from Season 2. :)

_Chapter 2: Hike Home_

Out in the blazing sun, Shinsō can say with definite clarity: he doesn't know what to make of the girl known as the Chocolate Fairy.

Hoshino Tomoko wasn't his classmate, but a friend of sorts. And she was weird. And short.

She was a year younger than him, enrolled in the same class where he and Gekkō met a year ago, and somehow she was brighter and happier than anyone else there. Even Kayama-sensei could be put to shame with how many times her voice stood out in the crowd. A lot of the folks in General Studies could be summed up as "indignant and upset" because of the number of failed Hero hopefuls in their ranks (making him all the more grateful for Aizawa-sensei showing up when he did). And yet Hoshino easily smiled and said, in all seriousness too: _"I'm happy being in General Studies! To be a Hero is_ not _my calling!"_

She gently laughed it off at the time, Gekkō rolled her eyes, proceeded to put an arm atop Hoshino's head, and that served as the end of that subject. Hoshino couldn't explain with her focusing on trying to tell Gekkō off for using her as an armrest.

Shinsō could do nothing but stare back then because he never thought he could hear a girl _squeak _so much in one day like an anime character, just in time with Gekkō's amused laughter. Now? He wondered.

Even now, on a hike that went wrong by the end of it…

"…"

The silence and flitting gaze pointed at him alone was starting to burn.

Hoshino wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even angry at her anymore; he knew it was an irrational thing in the first place. They went on a hike together, she wasn't looking, he went too far on a detour, and then once he came back to the main trail, the others had gone on without him.

Gekkō and Hoshino both did come back to look for him, but not before Gekkō noticed (as she always did, weirdly) and decided to leave them be. "Work it out with each other," she said aloud at the time, giving Hoshino a warm smile before clapping Shinsō on the shoulder. "And for you, Shinsō-kun," her voice went down to a whisper, "Tomo likes hugs."

With that said and done, before Shinsō could even ask _why_ she gave him that info, Gekkō waved him off and ran away. Arms behind her back and all.

Leaving the situation he was in now.

For some reason, in spite of his combat training with Sensei and Gekkō, Hoshino was leading the hike back with a few paces ahead of him. She looked so petite, and yet skipping the occasional stream without breaking speed was something else. No wonder she was childhood friends with Gekkō. They were both nuts. The rocks underneath her hiking shoes were barely jostled once he got close to spots she had already passed, and even then, her figure seemed small on the horizon.

The difference between Gekkō and Hoshino was how, every now and then, Hoshino turned her back to fully glance in his direction. It didn't take a genius to know she was worried and trying to look after him. He could _feel _her stare into his head even when he kept his gaze downwards, trying not to meet her eyes out of frustration.

She shouldn't have gone in the lead. Maybe say sorry or something since _she _left him behind to catch up, but—

A memory flew through his head. _"Tomo-chan's bad with anxiety. Plus she's really sensitive. I know, I _know _you read people, Shinsō, but take it easy on my sis. She's not good with people being angry. Or snappy."_

Davy. Why was Davy so adamant on protecting her? What made Hoshino so different?

It took a minute of silent walking before he decided to screw it. There was a rock nearby and his throat was dry. He could wait.

So, he sat down, put in one earbud, and leaned back.

Sure enough, his other ear could pick up the sound of shoes crunching pebbles nearby. A single second was all it took for a blue hair ribbon to sit in the corner of his vision, accompanying a familiar black braid.

"Hi," Hoshino said, uncharacteristically quiet.

Shinsō keeps his one earbud in, but nods at her. This is weirder. "Hey." This isn't the Hoshino he knows. In spite of his dormant anger, he tries, genuinely, like Gekkō would for him, to ask, "You okay?"

There's a pause. "T-Trying," she says, still quiet, and her right shoe kicks up some sand behind her. Then there's a shaking of a bottle. Why was she— "Need a water break?"

Shinsō blinks, leaning forward to glance at her. Hoshino's actually fidgeting. She's not meeting his gaze, she's not being forward, she's just offering her own water bottle to him. Her hair's in the way of her face, but she's still there. "Sure, thanks," he allows, taking the bottle from her hands and tipping the cap back for a quick waterfall. The liquid is nice and cool in his mouth, but it's only when he's finished that he notices the sogginess of the bottle's label. And Hoshino was holding onto it, so—

He hands the bottle back and it's then that he sees Hoshino's hands shake.

_"You'll know when it's not good when she starts shaking."_

Shit.

He takes out his earbud. "Hoshino?" he tries again. "You okay?"

Hoshino shakes her head, using the returned bottle and her long black hair to hide her face from view. But there's no mistaking the other tells of her shaking legs and trembling hands. "A-Again, I'm trying, Shinsō-san." Her voice cracks. "B-Because if I look at your face right now, I-I think I'm going to cry. And I don't want to cry right now."

Double shit.

Even with the alarms going off in his head, Shinsō can't let this go. This isn't normal. This isn't the Hoshino he first met. He can't help but feel apprehensive because this girl can't be real. She can't be close to crying. She can't. "It's not because you're afraid of being brainwashed, right?"

Hoshino shakes her head violently, and it's thanks to the lack of distance that Shinsō knows she's being genuine. "I-It's because I know I upset you," she says, fiddling with the water bottle in her hands. He doesn't miss how her fingernails scratch at the label he noticed earlier. "Because I messed up." Her voice cracks again, louder. Shinsō can already hear the incoming tears in her reply without needing to see her face. "A-And I don't want to cry when I know it's my fault I left you alone. Th-There's no excuse for it, but— but—" Hoshino cuts herself off. There's a sniffle.

Fuck.

She _is _close to crying. And he properly felt like a jackass.

It had to be now of all times that he figured out why Gekkō was insistent on their making up; why Davy was so protective.

Hoshino reminded him of a delicate flower and he was literally the wind about to blow her over.

Shinsō sighed. Maybe Gekkō was rubbing off on him, he didn't know, but he at least knows that Heroes aren't supposed to let people cry. "Hey," he says, awkwardly, "need a hug?"

The words are like sandpaper in his throat, but Hoshino is looking up at him and her blue eyes have red rims to them. She noticed. Gekkō was right. "Wh-Wha?"

"You look like you need one," he elaborated in spite of his burning cheeks, turning his head away but still keeping his arms open. "The issue now is whether you want to take me up on one."

It doesn't even take a second for Hoshino to run over and wrap her arms around his neck. Shinsō would have to wrangle Gekkō's hand in thanks later because for once, _this _is the Hoshino he got to know. The normal Hoshino never hesitated in tackling loved ones in hugs, and this Hoshino did indeed tackle him in a hug.

It was still Hoshino.

Even without her pressed up against him, Shinsō can tell Hoshino's been worried. She's sweaty, she's hot, and she's crying. She's actually _crying_ into his shoulder. What was the point of being angry when she's the one breaking down first? "I-I'm sorry…" she whimpers into his T-shirt, wet drops soaking into the fabric. From their closeness, Shinsō could make out the first sound of a sob. "I-I'm so so _so_ sorry…! I-I should've come back, I know, but I didn't know where you went, thingshappened, Ijust—" Hoshino shudders and her hands clutch the back of Shinsō's shirt to the point of wrinkles. "I'msosorry. Youdeservebetter."

The remaining anger burns out almost immediately and Shinsō hesitantly reaches up to pat her head. There was no point in apprehension when Hoshino already proved she wasn't afraid of his Quirk. The sad thing was turning out to be how she was apparently afraid of him being _upset._ He owed Davy one now too. "It's okay," he says, taking a slow breath. Thank god the rock was beneath him to ground him _and _Hoshino. She was heavy but he couldn't say that. "I shouldn't have gone off like that either. I've… been a jerk to you."

Hoshino sniffs, but pulls away enough to touch her nose to his. Her hair is sticking to her face and her eyes are still watery. "I never once thought of you as a jerk, Shinsō-san." Her gaze is shaky but focused on him, and she smiles crookedly. "I deserved it with my lacking in the surveillance department."

Shinsō scoffs in spite of his burning cheeks. Why did she have to be so close? He makes up for those thoughts with a dry remark. "Hey. You hike like a rampaging _bull_, y'know. Where did you get that leg strength?"

This time, Hoshino laughs. She ends up pulling away from the hug entirely and Shinsō lets her, but not without holding onto her free arm. She was already tittering on one foot, like she was about to fall. "Th-Thank Kei's mom for that," she says, flashing teeth in her smile. "I had to learn how to run before I could wield a sword. Hiking became a fun hobby for stress relief."

"That's… good?" Shinsō finds himself replying, because there's no good answer to that. What kind of person _was _Gekkō's mother? "Do I want to know?"

"Sugar coat or honest answer?" Hoshino offers instead.

_What the hell. No wonder Gekkō likes her._ _She's just as annoying in choices. _Shinsō rolls his eyes. "Y'know what, never mind." He stands up from his rock seat, brushing off his cargo pants before tugging on Hoshino's arm. "Let's just go."

"Eh?" Hoshino is stumbling, but she's following him. Her arm is warm. "Where to?"

Shinsō adjusts his grip so he could be holding onto Hoshino's fingers. They couldn't repeat the previous incident when it made Hoshino _cry_. "Back to Gekkō and your dork of a brother. They'll kill me if we come back late, and that can't happen if we want to work on your observation skills."

Now Hoshino is the one blushing. "We?"

Shinsō pauses his walk, just in time for Hoshino to bump her nose into his arm. She winces, he tugs at her hand again. "Yes, _we,_" he insists without looking back. It had to be said. This girl was too innocent. Too child-like. The world would eat her up like the chocolate her Quirk created in a snap. "Who else is going to look out for you when Gekkō and Davy aren't here?"

"S-So then," Hoshino wipes her face with her other hand, avoiding the water bottle and looking up at him with the same sparkles. Muted sparkles, but sparkles. "You're not angry?"

Shinsō pauses, looking forward. "I… I was," he manages dryly, but he refuses to let Hoshino run off by holding her hand tighter. "But not anymore. It's spilled milk now, so we've gotta stick together on the way back. Can't let the past repeat itself." He turns his head to meet her eyes and he grins wryly. "Gekkō stuck us together anyways, so let's pass the time by hiking."

Hoshino blinks, and she smiles again. Finally, the Hoshino he knows is back. He could've sworn a rainbow grew behind her head with the gesture. "Okay," she says quietly, squeezing his hand back. It's still warm. "I'll be right behind you."

"You're not going to run off?"

Hoshino pouts, but nods her assent to the question. "I'm not leaving you again. Accident or not."

Shinsō smirks. "You better. Being alone sucks."

Hoshino pauses her trotting behind him, bumps his shoulder with hers, and squeezes his hand. "I'm not gonna let you be alone _now_ if you say that."

For some reason, it's a nice thought. His ears feel hot, but he can't find it in himself to care. "Whatever you say, Hoshino. Whatever you say."

"Aye." Hoshino sticks behind him. At one point, when they trek up a hill, Shinsō could've swears he felt her lean against his back. "Thankie."

Maybe it was just him. It was sweltering hot out here.

It took another hour of walking together for Shinsō to realize he was still holding her hand. It took an extra ten minutes for him to let go.

Even then, Hoshino never stopped following him until they got back to the car.

* * *

"Hmmmm?"

Shinsō sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. "What, Davy."

His classmate grins from the front seat of the car. "You and Tomo made up?"

"I wasn't even all that _angry," _Shinsō points out, rolling his eyes. "But you were right. T—Hoshino's way too sensitive."

"And? And?" Davy's grinning, oh god, _no, _"Are you going to admit she's cute?"

This again. Ugh. "Not on your life. Cats are cuter."

"_Tch,_ stubborn," Davy clicks his tongue, but lets it go. Gekkō's helping Hoshino with something, so it's just them in the car, but before Shinsō can plug his earbuds in, he hears Davy add teasingly, "I _will _hunt you down if you date my sis!"

"I'm _not _looking to date her. Stop that already and start the car. It's hot."


	3. Inori no Uta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A thank-you short story to the lovely Wing-chan (also known as WingBladeWeaver1357) for the art she made a while back for my birthday; and the first debut of Leonhart Hikari from Dandelion's Glory in the story. You made my day and night, friend. It's about time I return the favor.
> 
> Consider this chapter an AU of chapter 1, since Kei and Davy aren't mentioned and Hikari's here instead, since at the time of this writing, it was a thank-you gift to Wing-chan and not a coherent part of a full-length story. The next chapters afterwards smoothly integrates both girls into Tomo's life.
> 
> I hate that my birthday had to be overshadowed by real life and politics on the internet side, but oh well. Some things still came through.
> 
> Based on a Valentine's Day comic from Wing-chan. The theme for this return gift is Inori no Uta, from Yuki Yuna is a Hero, sung by Tomoko herself. Enjoy!

_Chapter 3: Inori no Uta_

Before anyone could walk down the stairs and away from the rooftop, a single voice echoed through the wintery air.

"Hikari-chaaaaan! Shinsō-saaaaaaan! Wait for meeeeeeeee!"

Shinsō held back the urge to sigh, rolling his eyes fondly. His breath came out as clouds in the cold winter air anyways, sigh or not. "Is she behind us?"

Hikari snickered into her scarf and nodded to him. "Today's Valentine's Day, Shinsō, so you should know what that means! The Chocolate Fairy's here!" With practiced ease, Hikari turned around and quickly intercepted the incoming hug with her own tight embrace, causing the newest "casualty" to squeal loudly. "Hi, Tomo-chan!"

"H-Hika-chan, heeeeeeey!" Tomoko replied in a high-pitched squeak, apparently not minding her nose being squished in Hikari's blazer before squirming. "H-How did you know I was coming up behind you?"

"Call it instinct, Tomo-chan, _instinct,"_ Hikari smiled before letting Tomoko go, patting her head. "What brings you to our company?"

To no one's surprise, Tomoko started to puff out her cheeks, smile turning upside down to match her indignant expression. The extra stomp of her shoe against the pavement merely emphasized her mood swing. "You _know_ why I'm here, Hika-chan! _Muuuuuuuu, _don't tell me you _forgot_ after all this time! And _with_ the rumor mill!"

Hikari couldn't help but snicker, patting Tomoko's head again. "I know, I know, Tomo-chan. I didn't forget. What do you have this time?"

"It better not be something poisonous," Shinsō muttered under his breath.

Tomoko proceeded to round on him with an equally upset look. "Homemade chocolate is _not _poisonous in my personal dictionary, Shinsō-san! _Sheesh,_ what can a gift-giver do…" she shrugged her shoulders before pulling out a glittery pink gift bag from behind her back. "Which reminds me." Shinsō took a step back as soon as Tomoko put a hand to her chest, puffing a breath. "Valentine's Day is not just for lovers! _Friends_ deserve wonderful things too! Sooooo…" Tomoko raised the gift bag in the air. "My first gift goes to—"

Before continuing, Tomoko shot Hikari a pleading look.

Without skipping a beat, Hikari proceeded to clap her hands together in the closest imitation of a drumroll.

_"Arigatou, _Hika-chan," Tomoko said gratefully, turning back to Shinsō before placing a hand in the bag and pulling out a star-shaped package. "The first gift for today goes to Shinsō Hitoshi-san, future Hero and wonderful friend who deserves all the fans in the world!"

It could've been like a piano had dropped from the sky with how fast the atmosphere changed temperature. It didn't even feel cold.

Shinsō proceeded to turn a light pink. "_Uhhh," _he said intelligently, glancing between the gift and the person giving it. "Thank you…?" With a careful clearing of his throat, Shinsō took the package from Tomoko's hands, turning his head to the side while rubbing the back of his neck through his scarf. "Yeah. Thanks." He tucked the gift into the inside of his school blazer. "Thanks."

Tomoko and Hikari shared a look before giggling. "Aye aye," the Chocolate Fairy said gently, deciding not to mention her friend's pink ears before turning to the other person in the area. "Aaaaand without further ado, my other gift." It doesn't even take a second for Tomoko to brush her hair back and pull out a heart-shaped package to brandish in the Keyblade Wielder's direction. "For one of my besties and a person I love very much platonically, Hika-chan!"

Hikari blushed and smiled too. "_Aw shucks,_ thank you, Tomo-chan." The gift was handled delicately in the exchange, and once both Hero Department students were carrying their respective boxes, Tomoko took a step back. "But uh, Tomo-chan? What are you doing?"

Shinsō blinked too.

Instead of replying, Tomoko smiled and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes.

"I did say that Valentine's Day is for friends too, didn't I? So, for the two friends that make my world…"

Tomoko breathed in and out, deeply.

"One song is good enough, isn't it?"

With one single breath, the air proceeded to be filled with the inflections of a strong singing voice.

_"I'm glad that we met  
_ _(Deaette yokatta)_

_In the forest that is bright with the sunlight that falls through the trees.  
_ _(Komorebi mabushii mori no naka.)_

_The wind is always warm.  
_ _(Kaze wa itsumo attakakute.)_

_My heart feels like it is going to come undone.  
_ _(Kokoro hogureteku.)_

_Praying that days like these would continue forever…  
_ _(Konna hibi ga zutto tsuzuki masu you ni…)_

_The wide sky is overflowing with love and hope.  
_ _(Hirogaru sora wa ai ya kibou de afurete.)_

_I will continue to sing till this voice reaches you.  
_ _(Kono koe ga todoku made utai tsuzukeru kara.)"_

It was the only thing Tomoko could think up on Valentine's Day. There was too much focus on romance and love reserved for special others when there was more than that. There were the people who were single, thinking they were alone. People who just wanted friends. People who didn't want to be alone. This applied to UA High too. The split between General Studies and the Hero Department was vast, but that didn't mean bridges couldn't be made.

This moment could may as well be a symbol of such a bridge.

Tomoko put her hopes and efforts into keeping her voice steady, right then at that moment.

_"Since the day I was born into this world,  
_ _(Kono sekai ni sou umareta sono hi kara zutto,)_

_I clutched onto dreams that filled my hands.  
(Ryote ni ippai yume wo nigiri shimeteita.)_

_The future that was drawn would surely come true.  
(Egaita mirai itsuka hontou ni naru ne.)_

_A single person is too small to do anything alone.  
_ _(Hitorija chiisana sasayakide shikanaikedo.)_

_Our wishes would definitely become a prayer.  
_ _(Watashitachi nonegainara kitto inori ni naru.)_

_The wide world is overflowing with love and hope.  
_ _(Hirogaru sekai wa ai ya kibou de afurete.)_

_Until this voice reaches you, I will continue to sing.  
(Kono koe ga todoku made utai tsuzukeru kara.)_

_Always, always, thank you.  
_ _(Itsumo itsumo arigatou.)"_

The song lasted about 3-4 minutes, but once Tomoko opened her eyes, she met the eyes of her friends and smiled. Hikari and Shinsō smiled back, in their own miniscule ways.

Tomoko giggled and without much else, took a few steps to jump on the two in a hug. "Happy Friendship Day, you two!"

* * *

_A/N: _The artwork Wing-chan did is [here](https://writer-and-artist27.tumblr.com/post/187936831924/image-description-a-comic-of-two-hero-department) along with the original Tumblr posting of this chapter. 


	4. Don't Leave Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The nail into the Shinsō/Tomo ship train I got on, I think. The connector and final nail in the "Another AU" pitfall Vy has fallen into! Everyone is in UA and happy! Do not try to convince me otherwise. Oh, and? Blame Lang for getting me on the Shinsō train. Because Shell Game 57 hurts. It really really hurts.
> 
> Fluff, ONWARDS. With a song I never thought I'd be using again, since it was originally Kei and Tomoko's song in my head. But, well, might as well let someone else into Tomoko's darker side. :p And the lyrics for the other song piece mentioned here come from Lyrical Nonsense.
> 
> Note that the songs that are performed specifically (on the piano and sung by Tomo) in this chapter are (1) There is a Reason by Konomi Suzuki and (2) Egao no Kimi e by Suzuko Mimori.
> 
> Chronologically takes place after all my other Shinsō content.
> 
> Enjoy.

_Chapter 4: Don't Leave Me_

Before meeting Gekkō in UA, Shinsō thought he could go without friends. The path to becoming a Hero wasn't easy, after all, and friends were just a bother back in General Studies. But these days, with a year in UA under his belt, he could never say that now.

Today too, was no different. He could've gone home early, but it was the first sign that stopped him.

Said first sign of anything interesting was the echo of music ringing through his ears. It took a second for him to realize it wasn't coming from the school's loudspeakers littered throughout the hallway ceilings. It sounded like it was a piano solo, but it wasn't a song he recognized. Whether out of curiosity or boredom, Shinsō didn't know, but he followed the sound of the music along, craning his neck a bit more in the hopes of finding the source.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long. The sign hanging above the door designated the upcoming room as the "Music Room", and considering the piano was louder…

Shinso put his hand on the door and quietly pulled it open.

He was not expecting to see Hoshino at a grand piano of all things.

With her eyes closed, she could've been a professional pianist with how her fingers flew across the keys. Her legs occasionally moved to press the pedals at the foot of the piano, and with the sound vibrating in the air, it created a scene he never really thought he'd see from her. Sure, Hoshino _sang _for him and Leonhart, and who knows how much else for Gekkō and Davy, but not play _piano_ of all things while at school. There was no one else with her in the room, merely confirming his suspicion that the concert-level song was all _her._

Just listening closer made the song stand out more. Like it was a declaration of war on something or someone. Or it was a declaration of protection and love towards one person.

Shinsō mentally decided he liked the second idea better. It was more fitting of Hoshino anyways.

Once the last key faded, Hoshino took a heaving breath. Her eyes opened too, although slow, and she blinked them. "Okay," she muttered, and if not for Shinsō being in the same room as her, he knew he wouldn't have heard her otherwise. "The song's good. Now for the actual _singing…"_

Now was probably a better time than any to let her know he was there. Shinsō gently cleared his throat.

As expected, Hoshino jumped. The noise out of her mouth was something akin to an anime character, his best approximation of it being nothing but a loud "_FWAH!"_ that made his eardrums curl in on themselves. _Ow. _If not for the volume, Shinsō probably would have agreed with Davy's earlier declarations on how it was cute.

…Wait a second.

What?

Hoshino then swiveled her head around for some kind of answer before rounding on him, and her blue eyes widened. Pink proceeded to color her cheeks. "S-Shinsō-san! Um," her gaze focused in on him, her voice lowering, "s-sorry about the voice. I-I wasn't expecting you here."

"I wasn't expecting _you_ here either, Hoshino," he said coolly, hiding his previous thought by taking a look at the piano bench. Hoshino, petite as always, was only taking up half of the thing. Shinsō raised a finger to point at the empty space. "Think I could sit next to you?"

"Um," Hoshino blinked, still blushing. "Sure? If you don't mind me fidgeting."

"It's _you, _Hoshino. I never minded." And he meant it. Hoshino merely blushed brighter. Shinsō shrugged but went with it anyway, swinging his legs under the piano keyboard while still facing her. "Besides. What were you doing here?"

Hoshino's blush died down to a lighter pink as a realization of sorts shined in her blue eyes. "Oh, that?" She giggles, a bit embarrassed, before ducking her head and muttering the response. Shinsō already knew that if not for him sitting _right next to her, _he probably wouldn't have heard it. "I was practicing a song for Kei."

"For—" Shinsō couldn't help but feel surprised. "For Gekkō?" Then again, it made sense. Gekkō and Hoshino were extremely close, more so than Hoshino was with Leonhart (in spite of Hoshino happily calling Leonhart "Hika-chan" of all things). Weren't Gekkō and Hoshino childhood friends or something…? "What's the occasion?"

Hoshino fidgeted with her fingers. "N-Nothing much, really. I just felt like it." She rocked back and forth in her seat a bit, a fond smile on her lips. "Kei sometimes…" Hoshino paused, her gaze flickering between Shinsō's hands and her lap. "She sometimes goes through things I'm not sure about," Hoshino settled for quietly, reaching upwards to rub a bit of hair ribbon between her fingers. "We've known each other since we were little, but there are still times I know she doesn't tell me everything. It's just how she is. And I still can't help but worry if she's holding things back because it's too dark and…" Hoshino paused. Her hand playing with her hair ribbon stopped too.

Shinsō inclined his head. "Hoshino?"

Hoshino jolted a bit in her seat before raising her head to give him a smile. Shinsō would be a fool if he didn't see that it was obviously forced. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ramble at you, Shinsō-san! I-I can stop, if you want." She waves her hands in the air helplessly, and Shinsō aptly ducks his head so that she doesn't actually hit him. "I… I just want to sing and tell her that she's not alone. If that makes sense?"

Yep. It's still the same selfless and sweet Hoshino. "Sure," he says. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Shinsō leans back on the bench, looking up towards the ceiling in the hopes of giving Hoshino some room. "Gekkō's weird like that. Being silent. So I get it."

Without turning to her, Shinsō already knew Hoshino was giving him a doe-eyed, wide look. Like she wasn't expecting him to _understand _her. "…Really?" she said quietly.

Shinsō reaches over, and without thinking, lightly taps the top of Hoshino's head with the back of his hand. "Really," he finishes, just in time with her newest squeak of "_Ah!" _The smirk was hard to hide on his face when she rounded on him with a pout. At this point, he couldn't help it and Hoshino was leaving herself too open for teasing. "You have weird choices in friends, Hoshino. And Gekkō's the worst at it."

"_Muuuuuu," _she goes, clearly very unhappy while still puffing her cheeks. Hoshino crosses her arms and rocks herself hard enough in her seat on the bench to bump shoulders with him. "Kei's _fine, _I've lived with her for more than a decade, and last I checked, I'm friends with _you, _aren't I?"

Shinsō laughs. "You're nuts, but you're fine too. Being friends with a guy who's villainized for his Quirk."

Hoshino blinks, then goes quiet again. "…Oh," she says finally, then proceeded to lean on his shoulder.

That was not expected. Shinsō does his best to not recoil, staring into her hair. "Hoshino?"

The reply is just as quiet as the words that started everything. "You're a Hero to _me, _Shinsō-san." Hoshino is twiddling her thumbs now and even if Shinsō can't see her face, he can see the tips of her ears and they're pink. "It doesn't matter what people said about your Quirk before. They don't _know _you. You're in the Hero Department now and, last I checked, you proved them wrong by every single scale. Plus," Hoshino waves a pointer finger in the air while lightly rocking against him, "you could've brainwashed me in the entire time we've talked, and you haven't done that now, have you?"

"N-No," he says, and it surprises him on how _easy_ it is to talk honestly to Hoshino now. Like a veil was lifted off them both, and he can _breathe. _It's hard to care about his face burning because hearing those words is just _nice_ in general. Hell, he can smell rosemary, and it takes a second for Shinsō to realize it's Hoshino's _hair. _Her shampoo? "I never intend to Brainwash unless I want to."

"And there we go." Hoshino huffs in a way that seems final before raising her head to meet his eyes in eye contact, and she's pouting again. "So, please, don't say depressing things like that again. You sound like Kei."

"Sorry," is all he can say in response. "Reflex."

Hoshino still puffs her cheeks, opting to hit her head against Shinsō's shoulder. As much as it stings, well, technically a little since Aizawa-sensei punches harder, Shinsō waits for her to speak. "You _dork,"_ Hoshino says finally after a moment, scooting over to fully lean on his side. "You're my friend, so no more self-deprecation." She paused, and then Shinsō hears her mutter, "And _this _is why my friends need more music. No one believes in themselves, and it's depressing." There's another pause, and then she mutters, "I know I do it too, but I don't like hearing it from other people, especially people I care about. _Muuuuu."_

Shinsō scoffed and taps Hoshino's head again. This girl was ridiculous. "You're mumbling, Hoshino."

This time, his underclassman doesn't even flinch, merely giving him a dirty eye through her black hair before focusing back on the piano. "Don't care," she adds childishly. Shinsō doesn't miss how her fingers linger over the black and white keys again. "I'm tempted to play something for you now."

…Okay, out of all the things Hoshino could've said, Shinsō definitely was not expecting to hear that. Then again, this was _Hoshino, _the girl who made more homemade chocolate than her family could even provide for Valentine's Day in their cafe when not swamped with work. He shouldn't have been surprised. "I thought you were practicing for Gekkō," he finds himself saying instead.

"That doesn't mean my other friends miss out!" Hoshino's voice goes up by about a level or two in pitch. "And you're important to me too, Shinsō-san! You _deserve _something nice!" She pauses before pressing a key and adds, a bit miffed too this time, "You already heard me play something for Kei. So I _might _as well give you a preview of your birthday present."

Shinsō can't deny the fact that he's blushing. Goddamn feelings. He turns his head away to break off their shared eye contact, but doesn't push her away either. "I-I didn't think you were looking that far ahead, Hoshino."

Another bump into his shoulder. Along with an extra hard _thunk_ of a head against the crook between his neck and shoulder, Shinsō blinks before glancing in that direction. Hoshino — Hoshino was actually snuggled up to him. What the—? "You're someone I keep close to my heart, Shinsō-san," was the whisper. "There's no way I _wouldn't." _Before Shinsō could respond, she raises her head and he gets an eyeful of bright blue eyes. "And hey. You helped Kei and Jack-nii and Hika-chan a lot by being _you._ And," Hoshino reaches up to lightly poke his forehead with a soft smile, "You helped me too. So you deserve something in return, don't you think?"

Shinsō, for the first time in a long while, finds himself speechless. He stares at Hoshino for a second, then two, then for more until she fidgets and breaks off the eye contact. "U-Unless," she stutters, "you want me to sing instead? I-I could do that! Or make cake, or, or…" Hoshino trails off, sitting back up and scooting away an inch.

"I-It's fine," he says finally, turning his head mechanically just to force himself to look at her. And, yep. Hoshino is blushing, even when not meeting his eyes. "A song preview is fine, Hoshino. Whatever you feel is right."

Hoshino blinks, then _sparkles._ Too bright. Argh. "Piano _and _singing for you then!" she cheers, her voice high-pitched from the joy. "I hope you'll like it, Shinsō-san!"

Ugh.

How was she this happy?

_Lub-dub, lub-dub._

Better question.

His heart is beating hard. Is this how Davy felt when looking at Hoshino? Because this was new and Shinsō didn't know if he liked it or not. The last time he felt like this, it was with _Leonhart,_ and it was _Leonhart. _She wasn't looking for relationships. So, why was his heart starting up again with freakin' _Hoshino?_

If this is turning out to be what he thought it was becoming, Davy was going to _murder _him. Little sisters were off-limits, last he checked.

Double ugh.

Before Hoshino can turn back to the keys, Shinsō pulls her back to his side with an arm around her shoulders. She squeaks, he says, "You can use '-kun,' Hoshino."

_"F-Fweh?" _she squeaks again, more confused.

Shinsō sighs and taps Hoshino's head with his other, not-hugging hand. "If you're going to be putting on a concert for me after school, then you could at least call me by my name and not by some stiff honorific. Especially if I'm so 'close' to your heart as you say I am." He doesn't even know why his voice comes out irritated. Then again, he still doesn't know what to make of Hoshino either. How does she say things the way she does and not _die _of diabetes?

Oh, right.

Her Quirk is _literally _making chocolate with a touch.

There's no way she'd be _dying _of diabetes when she _makes _diabetes.

And Hoshino's looking at him again. "Then… Shinsō-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Just trying it," she says, then leans into him a bit more. The next try has his ribs creak. "Hitoshi… kun?"

He tries not to jolt. "…Why are you going with my first name?"

"A-Again, just wanted to try!" Hoshino squirms in his hold, but doesn't pull away, instead resting her fingertips atop the piano keys. Their closeness lets Shinsō feel her exhale. "A-Are you okay with that?"

Shinsō takes a breath too. "…Just play the song," he settles for finally, bonking her head with his cheek. "And do what you want."

"Th-Then," Hoshino turns to look at him, blushing too. "Call me 'Tomoko' too, H-Hitoshi-kun. 'Hoshino, Hoshino' just makes things feel more formal."

Sure, she stumbled in delivery, but she still said his first name.

Shinsō sighs and closes his eyes. If he looked into those blue eyes, he knew he might die. From embarrassment or _something,_ and he had to stay cool. _Somehow._ "Alright then, Tomoko," he says, even if he's close to stumbling himself from how _strange _it sounds. "Hoshino" had stuck for far too long. _First names, _on the other hand, were going to be a new obstacle to overcome. "You win. Go play what you want now."

He doesn't need to see to know that Ho — _Tomoko _is sparkling. "Aye aye!" she says with what sounds like an extra salute, and he slumps as soon as her voice turns away from him. "One concert for a bestie, coming up!"

The piano echoes in his ears first in a new melody before he hears Tomoko start to sing, and by then, Shinsō's tempted to fall asleep.

_"Kimi o tsurete kakedasu yo  
_ _(__I__ brought you to run off with me)_

_Dare mo oitsukenai basho e;  
_ _(__To a place where nobody can reach;__)_

_Ima koso kanaeyou yo ano hi no yakusoku.  
_ _(Now it's time to grant the promise we made that day.__)_

_Katasumi no shiawase no tsubomi,  
_ _(__The flower bud of happiness staying at the corner,__)_

_Giniro ni kagayaita,  
_ _(__Shining with a silver color,__)_

_Saitara misete ageyou!  
_ _(__I will show it to you when it blooms!__)_

_Mikaeshita arubamu no naka de.  
_ _(__I looked back to the album.__)_

_Sono koro mo ima mo sou,  
_ _(__Whether past or present,__)_

_Issho ni waratteru.  
_ _(__We laughed together.__)_

_Minami no hou kara somatteiku kisetsu.  
_ _(__The season arrives from the south.__)_

_Tadaima to itte ne,  
_ _(__Saying "I'm back,"__)_

_Kitto sugu ni mukae ni iku.  
_ _(_ _I'll immediately welcome you._ _)_

_Kimi o tsurete kakedasu yo  
_ _(I brought you to run off with me)_

_Dare mo oitsukenai basho e;  
_ _(__To a place where nobody can reach;_ _)_

_Ima koso kanaeyou yo ano hi no yakusoku.  
_ _(Now it's time to grant the promise we made that day.)_

_Nee, zutto matteta yo kimi no koto o.  
_ _(Hey, I'm always waiting for you.)_

_Okaeri, watashi o mou nidoto oitekanaide.  
_ _(Welcome home, please don't leave me again.)_

_Harukaze hana ga odoru,  
_ _(Flowers dancing in the spring breeze,)_

_Yuudachi kasa o narasu,  
_ _(Rain striking the umbrella in a shower,)_

_Gairoju aka ni somaru,  
_ _(Roadside trees dyed red,)_

_Watayuki sukuiageta.  
_ _(Scooping up fluffy snow.)_

_Kimi o tsurete kakedasu yo  
_ _(__I brought you to run off with me)_

_Dare mo oitsukenai basho e;  
_ _(__To a place where nobody can reach;__)_

_Ima koso kanaeyou yo ano hi no yakusoku.  
_ _(Now it's time to grant the promise we made that day.__)_

_Kimi o tsurete kakedashita  
_ _(__I brought you to run off with me__)_

_Soshite egao o dakishimeta,  
_ _(__And embracing your smile,__)_

_Mousugu kanaunda ne ano hi no yakusoku.  
(_ _It will be granted soon, the promise we made that day._ _)_

_Mata koushite tonari doushi arukeru koto.  
_ _(__We are still comrades, advancing together._ _)_

_Nandaka tottemo ureshikute hashaide shimau.  
_ _(__I don't know why, but I feel happy and in high spirits.__)"_

Maybe later, Shinsō could work up the courage to ask Tomoko to record her songs. That way, Aizawa-sensei wouldn't be pissed when he eventually comes by to their daily training session.

For now, he'd enjoy this. It wasn't everyday he could nap peacefully against a friend.

By the time the song was long finished, Shinsō could've sworn he saw Tomoko smile. "Sleep well, Hitoshi-kun. You deserve it, you beloved friend of mine."

It was a good day.

* * *

"Where have you _been?"_

"…Around."

_"Shinsō."_

"Don't worry about it, Sensei."

"It's not because you became buddy-buddy with someone outside your class, is it?"

"…"

"Do not tell me it's Hoshino. We went through this with Leonhart and Gekkō already."

"I have her songs recorded for you if the cats like it…?"

"Goddammit, Shinsō."


	5. Lightning in a Bottle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Yep. You're looking at the chapter that confirmed I was falling deeper down the My Hero Academia hole. All thanks to a certain LovingEmpress on Tumblr who gave me enough commentary on the previous chapters, therefore giving me the inspiration to do all this.
> 
> And for once, Kei doesn't even show up or get mentioned in this fic! I feel like that's an achievement, if Lang's observations of my recent writing are any indication. Somehow. Please don't ask me why I'm shaking while writing this note.
> 
> First time writing the famous Eraserhead here, based heavily off my own Vietnamese Batman of a dad. And a little bit of EraserMic if you're looking hard enough.
> 
> Please listen to Virtual Anime Orchestra's rendition of This Game from No Game No Life on YouTube. while reading. I'd like to think it as Tomoko's theme when she gets to know someone well.
> 
> So, here we go!

_Chapter 5: Lightning in a Bottle_

Aizawa Shouta stares down at his newest problem student.

Although fidgeting, Hoshino Tomoko raises her head to stare back, bangs framing her face almost defiantly. If Aizawa didn't know any better, it felt like he was looking down at Uraraka or Yaoyorozu. "Um," she says, timidly but still audible, "C-Can I help you, Aizawa-sensei?"

Nearby, Shinsō is looking caught between laughing and staring himself. "S-Sensei," he says around the hand covering his mouth, "What are you doing?"

Aizawa looks away. "Nothing much," he says to Shinsō, and then walks past Hoshino while lightly bumping her shoulder with his hand. Not enough to be rude, but at least to get her attention without startling her. "You came here to watch Shinsō train?"

"Y-Yes," she stammers, but Hoshino hardens her posture at the questioning. "My friends used to train him before you, Sensei, uh, no offense intended," she waves her hands a bit, "and I just wanted to come by and see if he was okay."

"And did you get Recovery Girl's permission to do that?" After all, the so-called "Chocolate Fairy" was assigned to Recovery Girl for a reason. Stuck in General Studies or not, the health benefits that came with chocolate, as strange as the conclusion was to come to, couldn't be ignored, especially with trouble students. Chocolate could calm people down. Aizawa couldn't deny that.

Hoshino, though… This isn't like her to be without the School Nurse.

At the question, Hoshino jolts before hunching in on herself, completely reversing whatever image she had at her previous answer. "Well… no," she admits, quieter. She could've been a mouse from how small her voice went. Still, Aizawa could hear her. "I wanted to come here by myself. Hitoshi-kun is my friend."

Shinsō stops whatever snickering he was doing to stare at her in amazement. "Tomoko—"

"I… I just wanted to see how he was doing, Sensei, that's all. I lo— I _care _for him, a lot." Hoshino raises her head to look at Aizawa again, and it immediately strikes Aizawa on how, for the first time this year, her blue eyes actually reflect the flames of a _hero. _There's no mistaking the light blush on Shinsō's cheeks at the girl's answer either. There was history here. "I can leave if it troubles you."

Aizawa stares at her. The flames are still there in her eyes even when Hoshino starts shaking from apprehension. Then he sighs. Yep. There's no convincing her otherwise and man, he really is getting too soft. "You don't have to leave."

"Eh?" And just like that, the shy schoolgirl was back, and this time, Shinsō doesn't even hesitate to run over to Hoshino's side, his hands very close to taking a hold of hers for the sake of comfort. Hoshino looks towards him and smiles weakly, reaching over to pat Shinsō's nearest forearm. _I'm okay, _she seems to mouth towards him, and Shinsō gives her a single look before gripping her hand anyways.

Both teenagers blush, but smile at each other.

_Yep._ Even if Aizawa wasn't involved in the situation at this point, he could clearly see it now, USJ injuries or not. When Aizawa wasn't looking, Shinsō had changed, and it was all because of this schoolgirl who was standing up and looking back at him.

He sighs. "As long as you stay somewhere safe, you can watch." Aizawa rubs the back of his neck through his capture weapon. "It looks like there's more to your reasons than just that, Hoshino, but I won't stop you. Watch as much as you want, considering you're going to need self-defense at one point."

"…Oh." There's a pause. "Thank you? I-I mean," Hoshino's voice gets a bit louder, and she sounds confused. How easy was this girl to read? "I do have chocolate approved by Recovery Girl for you and Hitoshi-kun if you need it too, Sensei! And some…" she shrinks again, clutching her bag, and Shinsō gently pats her shoulder. "Bentos. For lunch. Yeah." Her voice cracks. "They're homemade and have cat-shaped onigiri if you like those…?"

Aizawa stops pacing. And it was not because of the cats. "…What kind of chocolate?"

"D-Dark chocolate! With some low-calorie almonds and peanuts to help give protein and fiber after a workout. I-I made sure to lower the sugar content too so it won't clash with any energy drinks you two take." Hoshino fidgets again, but there's confidence in her reply now. "I'm sure of it since I taste-tested it this morning before coming."

"_Really, _Tomoko?" Shinsō sounds amused, and Aizawa spares a glance to see him resting a hand atop Hoshino's hair. Was Shinsō this gentle with other people before? "You didn't pass out in bed after cooking _again, _did you?"

Hoshino's puffing her cheeks at Shinsō, but it's definitely not in any ill intent as she weakly attempts to bat his hand away. "I-I didn't! I made sure to get to sleep early last night! I wanted to see you!"

Aizawa does not miss how his student's cheeks flush a little. Shinsō tugs at his own capture scarf to hide it before Hoshino could notice, saying, "Not that I'm not happy about that, but what time did you go to bed?"

Hoshino doesn't falter in her answer, still trying to bat at her friend's hand. And yep, she doesn't notice Shinsō blushing either. Wow. "_10 pm!"_

Shinsō rolls his eyes while moving his hand down to wrap around Hoshino's shoulders in a side hug, promptly stopping any further hand-batting. "That's better than me."

A pause, and then there's a smile on Hoshino's face. It does not take long for her to lean into his side and the hug, but her expression quickly drops as a realization dawns in her eyes. "I… woke up at 5 too?" Hoshino adds timidly. And honestly.

Aizawa pinches the bridge of his nose to try avoiding the incoming headache. The second it took for Hoshino to answer his student's question already proved her having a rare sense of honesty that could only lead to trouble in the future. This was starting to sound like a mix of Uraraka and _Midoriya, _and Midoriya was a problem child already. And not to mention, this girl looked like she had been sheltered. And from how she had full-heartedly trusted both him and Shinsō, it's been going on for far too long for his liking. _How_ has she survived? Hell, _how _did she make it into UA High like this?

Then again, he couldn't talk considering he was still teaching _Bakugo._

It does not take long for Shinsō to put his forehead into the palm of his free hand. "How are you _human, _Tomoko. I woke up at 7. _Why _did you put yourself through that."

Hoshino giggles in a way that convinces no one. "…Cafe work?" she says sheepishly.

If anything, her weak attempt at amending any anger only deepens the eyebags on Shinsō's face. "When you're out here with me and _Sensei_ already? Tomoko." Shinsō sounds reprimanding at this point as he taps the back of her head again with his free hand, a bit harder this time. She squeaks a "_Fwah"_ of protest, but it does not stop Shinsō from pulling her in and hugging her a bit more anyways. Huh. "You are a massive _dork. _The hell that goes through your mind, I _swear."_

Hoshino pouts, but leans back into him anyway, reaching over with one arm to hug him back. "I missed you too, Hitoshi-kun. Thankie for being here."

Yep. Shinsō is blushing now.

Aizawa holds back a sigh. They were already looking like teenage _lovebirds. _If Mic saw this, he wouldn't hear the end of it. And Mic already gushed more than enough about Hoshino being cute in his off-time because of _one time _he caught her singing. "Shinsō. Enough with the scene. Let's get to work."

Hoshino jolts first and Shinsō slowly pulls out of the hug, but not before sending her a crooked smirk. "Sure thing, teach," he says dryly to Aizawa before turning back to Hoshino. "You better keep those chocolates safe, Tomoko." There's no missing the honest spark in his student's eye, directed only towards that girl.

Hoshino blushes, but smiles back. "Aye aye, Cap'n Hitoshi," she says, saluting him happily while taking a few steps back to lean against a nearby tree. "I'll be waiting."

"Sure," he says coolly, but by the time he runs over to Aizawa, the pro hero doesn't miss the slight bit of matching pink still on his face. "Let's get to practicing, Sensei."

"Alright," Aizawa sighs before glancing past his student. If there was going to be a guest here, he might as well ask since she offered. "Hoshino."

Hoshino startles, but looks at him with wide blue eyes. "Y-Yes, Sensei?"

Aizawa ignores Shinsō's incredulous look and raises a hand anyways. "Throw one of those chocolates over here, will you? I'm hungry."

Might as well make a student feel more _comfortable _and less like a stone statue.

"What the _hell, _Sensei—"

Hoshino blinks, glances at the bag in her hands, then shuffles through it to pull out a small container of tupperware packed full of chocolate bars. She fumbles with the lid for a single second before choosing one medium-sized square and, shutting her eyes, throws the small thing as hard as she can.

"Tomoko, that's a waste of food—"

"I-I'm sorry, I _tried!"_

Aizawa catches the square with his capture scarf before bringing it down to his hand. The sweet didn't even melt in the entire trip through the air and it smelled nice. He popped it into his mouth before chewing slowly. "Hm," he muttered. "Crunchy." He could easily taste the almonds and the bitterness that came with dark chocolate. The energy boost that ran through his blood afterwards was almost like a blessing. Aizawa can't help but nod in Hoshino's direction, smirking. "It tastes good, Hoshino. Thanks."

And for the first time that day, Aizawa sees Hoshino's signature bright smile directed towards him. "No problem, Sensei!" she chirps.

All he can think of in that moment is that she's too bright.

He can definitely understand why Shinsō likes her now. Hoshino reminds him of Mic. Just quieter and shier. The light was all still the same.

Hoshino glances towards his student anyways and asks in the same happy high-pitched voice, "Hitoshi-kun, do you want one too?"

Shinsō had just put on his mask, but still turns without skipping a beat to say, in a gentler voice too, "I'm fine, Tomoko."

Hoshino pouts. "Okay."

Eraserhead sighs, closing his eyes. He needed to see Mic later, or _so help him _with teenagers. "You might need one when I'm done with you, Shinsō."

"You always say that, Sensei."

Aizawa charged first.

* * *

"Eh — _Hoshino-chan! _I didn't know you were here with Eraserhead!"

"Um," Hoshino turns a bit red because having Present Mic in your face does that to some people, "Yes? I mean, I wanted to visit Hitoshi-kun, and Aizawa-sensei let me watch, so…" she raises her hand in a weak fist-pump, "I'm here?"

"That," Shinsō says dryly from her right side, "is the worst All Might impression I've ever seen."

"I-I tried!" Hoshino squeaks.

_"YEAAAAAAAH_, SHE TRIED, SHINSŌ!" Hoshino flinches in time with Mic's shout, Shinsō laughs, but Aizawa is far too sleepy to move as soon as Mic gets close again to grin. "SOOOOO, HOSHINO-CHAN! ARE THERE CHOCOLATES FOR MEEEE?"

"Ummmmm. About that…" Hoshino is turning redder by the second. Shinsō being caught between more laughter and poking Hoshino's cheeks doesn't help anything. "A-Aizawa-sensei," she says very weakly, glancing past Mic's spiky shoulder pads in clear panic. "Help please?"

Huh. She squeaks too. Maybe Aizawa should tell her to invest in a cat cafe job to avoid Mic.

Instead, he gets up from his sleeping bag with a groan. Not the greatest idea, but he was still a teacher. "Mic, lower the volume. You're scaring Hoshino. And last I checked, she only brought enough chocolates for Shinsō."

"WHAAAAT? _NO."_

"If you want to scout her for your radio show, you need to do it more discreetly."

The grateful look in those blue eyes is something Aizawa doesn't think he'll be forgetting any time soon.

Hoshino wasn't going to be a Hero, but as a teacher, he'd be damned if he left her alone to the mercy of Mic. His special other could be outlandish as hell anyways.


	6. Saving Each Other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Trauma-versaries aren’t supposed to be spent alone crying. Inspired by the times Leo has been there for me. Hints to Shinsō/Tomo, here? Also, trigger warnings for implied verbal and emotional abuse.
> 
> The theme song that I recommend for this chapter is the soundtrack titled Floating Feelings by Keiichi Okabe and Keigo Hoashi for the second season of Yuki Yuna is a Hero. For an alternative, you could also listen to Nezuko’s Theme originally composed by Yuki Kaijura for Demon Slayer, if you’d like.
> 
> Staying up till almost midnight thinking on this was kinda worth it. Kinda. 
> 
> The chapter title takes direct reference from a RWBY fight that I love very dearly. Go Bumblebee. :)

_Chapter 6: Saving Each Other_

Shinsō always thought that Hoshino — well, _Tomoko _to him now — was a loud sort of person. Not intentionally, considering how shy she could be around new faces, but it was endearing, if you asked him about it. Whether it was in class or at the occasional lunch break, her high-pitched voice was bright enough to rival _Present Mic_ on her good days. She squeaked when happy, she squeaked when surprised, she just always _squeaked._ Mic-sensei and Midnight-sensei both always found her cute, but eh, it was an acquired taste, listening to Tomoko's voice. At least the voice _alone_ let him find her in a crowd every single time they got separated; even if she was short enough to get lost.

Shinsō could've easily been fooled into thinking that was the bulk of her entire personality if not for one day. It took one day for him to find her as someone almost completely different.

It was after All for One had already been taken down by All Might, and the dorms were set up for all the classes. School had been finished for the day and for once, Shinsō wanted out of the dorms and room to just pedal. His bike had been neglected since his training with Aizawa started, not helped by the dorms' construction to begin with. Fresh air was supposed to be a good idea.

Tomoko wasn't supposed to be sitting at a swing set by herself when he went out.

The park itself was empty, uncharacteristic of the area considering the UA's security and the number of neighborhoods surrounding the school. Along with the setting sun, it would've been a prime time for kids to come and play.

Tomoko wasn't supposed to be the only occupant there, swinging alone with a sad expression on her face.

Shinsō stopped his bike almost immediately to walk it into the park, trying to read his friend's posture. She was hunched into herself, not projecting like she would in school, and her mouth was moving. It took an extra second for him to realize she was humming to herself. Not loud enough for him to make out the lyrics of the song, but there was no mistaking the loneliness in her normally bright blue eyes.

_Yep. Screw this shit._

He bit his lip and walked close to the swing set, gently leaning his bike against the metal structure before taking a seat in the nearest empty swing. "Tomoko?"

Tomoko didn't jolt. Rather, she didn't even make a sound while blinking to look up at him, and it took all Shinsō had to not recoil at the sheer overwhelming _relief _in her eyes at seeing him. "Hitoshi-kun." Her voice was just as quiet as the humming that led him to her. Her smile that came afterwards felt _and_ looked fake. "Hi. Where did you come from?"

"The dorms," he admitted, pushing his shoes into the sand underneath him to start swinging. The momentum was a good enough distraction for whatever was on the horizon of Tomoko's mind. "Wanted to bike and then I saw you here. And I thought you wouldn't want to be alone."

"Oh," Tomoko says, and then goes silent. She swings a bit too, the metal creaking underneath her weight. "Thankie, but…you didn't have to come," she adds, hesitant. "I was just thinking a bit."

"Oi. I _wanted_ to," he replies, because now this has his hackles up. Gekkō and Davy both warned him to be careful when Tomoko was alone to think, because if Aizawa-sensei's own tiptoeing around her was any indication, this was delicate. "You don't have to be alone, Tomoko."

Tomoko's swing stops moving. She grips the handles a bit tighter. "…If you say that, I dunno what to say in response, Hitoshi-kun." Her feet drudge up some sand. "Because it's a day like this where I thought it'd be better to be alone."

This just sounds wrong, in so many ways. _Gekkō's _the one who's supposed to say troubling things, not _Tomoko. _What was going on? "Why?" Shinsō says instead.

Tomoko sighs, a broken sound to the breath. "…It's a long story," she says, and her voice cracks at the words. "And if I say it, I'm not sure how you're going to react, Hitoshi-kun, and I'm scared of that."

"I'm not going to _hurt _you, if that's what you're thinking," he protests, but once his voice raised in volume, Tomoko's flinching and he winces. Argh. Not the right tone. This wasn't the time to get angrily defensive. "Tomoko, we've known each other for a while now and I know you wouldn't hurt me. So why are you scared of me possibly hurting you?"

Tomoko shakes her head, shrinking into herself. The swing creaks under her compressed weight. "It's… kinda part of that long story. And before you say anything, it's not your fault. It's just me. Remembering someone I wish I didn't know."

The fuck? There was someone Tomoko _didn't_ want to remember? This was starting to hit a note he didn't realize he had in common with Tomoko, and it was honestly shitty to even think about.

What else about her did Shinsō not know? What else was she _hiding?_

At Shinsō's questioning stare, Tomoko sighs a long, deep sigh before raising her head to look at him in the eye, a sad frown tugging at her lips. "I'm sorry. For sounding mysterious, I mean. It's not exactly something I talk about with everyone. Heck," Tomoko laughs dryly, "Only Kei really knew the whole story up 'till now. But if you want to, I can explain. The only thing I'm concerned about now is whether you're able to hear me out or not. I _can _cry during this thing. So." Tomoko smiles wryly. "Are you up for the story?"

He wasn't really sure. These kind of things reminded him of his time in middle school, and those were days Shinsō was prepared to take to the _grave._ Even then, Shinsō gestured to his bike nearby with extra exaggerated motions. "Whatever you feel is okay. But when you feel like going back to the dorms, I can drive. And get you to the convenience store for tissues."

The joke, as horribly-timed as it is, gets a small laugh out of Tomoko. The sound cuts through the thick air enough for Shinsō to crack a grin. It still sounded like _Hoshino. _"Y-You dork, that's a _bike, _Hitoshi-kun, not a car. I'm now worried that I'll be too heavy to ride on it with you." Still, she's smiling again and Shinsō relaxes. That's how Tomoko should be. Not depressed like _this. _Her smile should've been bigger, but he'd take what he could get. "You silly friend."

"Had to get it from Davy and Kei _sometime, _Tomoko," he snarks, and Tomoko giggles. At least she's smiling. "We're _all _dorks, so don't deny it."

"I-I'm not," she giggles again and then her shoulders straighten. "I'm just…" she goes quiet once more, much to Shinsō's displeasure, ducking her head. In spite of his own misgivings, Shinsō waits. This was definitely delicate. "I'm just grateful. That you and everyone I know won't turn out to be like the person I'm about to talk about."

"The… person." Shinsō repeats.

Tomoko nods, looking downwards while kicking up some sand with her shoes. "He was my first friend. Way before I met Kei. Let's just call him 'Ty' for now, since that's what he went by." Shinsō digests the name, but can't help feeling apprehensive. And, sure enough, Tomoko gulps a breath. "And, as sad as it makes me think about it," she visibly swallows, "I think he was my first love. I… I cut him off about a year or so ago, before coming to UA."

Shinsō freezes just in time with his heart stopping in place. "He…" There was no way. Did this Ty guy, whoever he was, _hurt Tomoko? _The girl who happily gave parts of herself away in the form of chocolate to everyone? The General Studies student that all the teachers loved? _How? _How could someone hurt— What the absolute _fuck—_

Tomoko sighs again.

Shinsō forces himself to breathe. "Did he hurt you?"

Without a single beat in-between, Tomoko looks up at him. The sheer amount of _emotions _swirling in her blue eyes confirmed the answer to his question, but before he could say anything, she opened her mouth. "Not… not initially. We were friends, in the beginning. We liked the same things, we got along a lot to the point of hanging out at each others' houses." She laughs, and this time the sound is bitter and hopeful all at once. "Mama and Papa even liked him at one point. It's just…" Tomoko trails off.

"He fucked up?" he offers.

Tomoko, again, shakes her head. "N-No. _I _did." She ducks away, looking smaller and smaller by the second. "I couldn't help him. When he needed it, I couldn't do anything. And he yelled and yelled and _yelled _at me for it. I-I think he hated me for it." She shivers. "I-I cut him off before going to UA, because it _hurt _hearing him say all those things and not care if I was crying or not, but I still _miss _him and," this time, there's a sniffle, "I hate it because he's gone and I can't help but _miss _him."

_What the absolute fuck. _"I call fucking bullshit on the fuck-ups," Shinsō proclaims aloud. "There's _no _way you could fuck up, Tomoko. _He _did first." Yep. Now she's flinching and looking up at him like he said something that went against God, but Shinsō could care less about that. He said the truth. Why couldn't she believe that? Instead of protesting, he adds, "People are horrible, and bullies are the worst of it. He shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"I-I wish you wouldn't use _that_ wording—"

"I get that, but Tomoko." She goes quiet at that. Shinsō reaches over to hold her shoulder past the swing. It was still Tomoko. It was still the _Hoshino_ he got to know, and she was way more of a survivor than anyone gave her credit for. She was far too kind than _anyone _gave her credit for. Ty was already dropping into the deepest parts of his mental hell for simply _abusing _that. "_I get it._ You don't have to explain."

"You…" her blue eyes are wide enough to reflect his figure in the irises. "You get it? Hitoshi-kun, did you…" Tomoko stumbles. "Did you…"

_Did you get hurt by people close to you before?_

Shinsō pauses, feeling his heart clench in that not-so-great way, but nods anyway. There's no mistaking that familiar shame in the air, no matter how many years it's been. "You can't help what you long for, no matter what everyone else says," he admits, and even if the words are recycled from his first Sports Festival, they are making a visible effect. Tomoko's staring at him. Like she wasn't expecting him to understand. Why wouldn't he? The shitty ideas of other people isn't something _foreign_ to him. He really needed to teach her how to cold read others. Still, he continues with an equally honest addition of, "And it doesn't matter what Ty said to you in the past. I know you couldn't fuck up badly when you were one of the first people who believed I could be a Hero."

Tomoko blinks, her braid brushing her face, and then pink colors her cheeks. "Y-You have all the heart for it, being a Hero," she says, her voice cracking, "so, I mean…"

"So this Ty guy needs to have his face punched in, once we graduate," Shinsō finishes for her. "Or to be mind-controlled." For once, as villainous as the idea is, he doesn't think he'd hesitate to use his Quirk if he ever saw any visage of Ty. The guy was already a douchebag for making Tomoko _cry_ and try to hide it.

Shinsō did not want to think about Ty possibly being the _cause _of Tomoko's main anxiety problem. Because if he was, there would be words exchanged. _Many_ words.

"E-Eh?" Tomoko's blinking rapidly and then she's turning away to wipe at her face with her sleeve. "No, wait. Hitoshi-kun, did you—"

Shinsō sighs and pulls Tomoko in for a full side-hug, not even caring about the swings between them. "You deserve better," Shinsō says, even if his heart protests at the thought of her not being here with _him. _Someone was going to make her happy one day. He had to focus on that, not on some whim his heart was playing at with feelings. "It doesn't matter what he did. He still _hurt _you. And you don't have to linger on him when he never deserved it. He hurt you and lost the chance to be with you. So there's better ways of spending your time than crying yourself a puddle over a jerk like him."

Tomoko freezes. "You…" she sounds close to crying this time, and she leans into his side, visibly gulping. "You knew?"

"You're an open book, Tomoko." The position they're in is awkward, no thanks to the swings' metal bars clanking against each other uncomfortably, but Shinsō still can't find it in himself to care. "And my Quirk made it so I had to read other people. You're just really easy to read."

"_Uuuu," _she murmurs instead, and Shinsō pretends to not see the tears prickling at her eyes as she wipes at her face. She needs space. "I-I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."

"It can be whatever you want it to be," he squeezes her shoulders in what he hopes is comforting. His heart isn't helping, but he still ducks his head and presses his nose into her hair. "It's still something that I like about you."

He keeps out the thought of wanting to pummel Ty into the ground. Even if he wants to, especially since Ty hurt _Tomoko _to the point of her still agonizing over him, that kind of thing wouldn't help. Tomoko was still here and she needed a friend first, not a revenge-seeking Hero-hopeful student.

Tomoko seizes up this time. "_Uuu… Uwah." _Then she's slowly getting up and out of her swing, and Shinsō lets her, watching as she slowly makes her way to stand in front of him, hands gripping the hem of her skirt. She's looking everywhere but him, she's fidgeting, but Shinsō can't deny how she actually looks _cute. _"H-How could you… you just say that without even minding…" there's a sniffle. "H-Hitoshi-kun, could you…" Tomoko visibly swallows and through her bangs, Shinsō can see the beginnings of a waterfall. She opens her arms to him, shaking. "Could you…?"

Shinsō sighs this time and gets up from his swing, opening his arms in return. He wasn't Gekkō, and he certainly wasn't any _Davy,_ but he could try. Leonhart could do it, so why not him? He could be a good rock for once. That was what Heroes were for, right? "Come here, you doofus," he says gently.

Tomoko's lip quivers and then she's barrelling into his chest. The impact hurts, Shinsō's reeling from the momentum, but Tomoko's actually hugging him. Her hands are clutching the front of his T-shirt and something starts to soak the front of it. What the — Oh. _Oh._ She's crying for real this time. "I can't believe you sometimes. I-I thought, I _thought,"_ she's shivering, her voice muffled by his shirt, "I thought you weren't going to believe me."

Undiagnosed anxiety. Goddammit.

Shinsō presses a hand to her hair, petting it softly. "You haven't given me a reason _not_ to believe you," he points out rationally, exhaling as deeply as he could. "You're fine, Hoshino."

Tomoko laughs shakily. "Wh-Why are you going back to my last name?"

Shinsō pretends to think on it before shaking his head and hugging her a bit tighter. "You're still the same person you were when we first met. So, whether it's Hoshino or Tomoko, it's still you. And you're okay."

There's a distinct sob in his shirt as Tomoko hugs him back tighter. "Aye… Aye…" she sniffles. "Y-You really are a Hero, Hitoshi-kun."

Shinsō for once scoffs, shaking his head. "Says the girl who has all the heart in the world. I _still _want to insult Ty, by the way." Tomoko tenses in the hug, but Shinsō holds her down with an extra squeeze to her waist. "But what was it that Gekkō said…?" He pauses, pretending to think on it again. "Ah. That."

"That…?"

"Your heart saved the world, Tomoko," Shinsō repeats from memory, and before Hoshino can respond, he finishes with a duck of his head and a smaller, heartfelt admission into the crown of her black hair. "…And you saved mine. You still do."

A pause. Then Shinsō hears a surprised giggle out of Hoshino. It's warm and for once, _hopeful_ again. She's still hugging him, but the wetness isn't getting any bigger on his shirt for once and the shivers have stopped. "You helped me too, Hitoshi-kun," she says in the same amount of quiet. "You saved me too."

The thought suddenly occurs to him, so he says thoughtlessly, "Is this the part where I'm supposed to say 'we saved each other'? Because I'm not good at those cheesy lines like you."

Tomoko laughs again, happier in the gesture. The sheer relief in her laughter is palpable and, honestly, contagious. "J-Just hug me, you silly friend of mine."

Shinsō hides a cheeky grin and presses his cheek to Tomoko's hair. He can still smell the rosemary. "How's the weather down there? Better?"

"_Mm,"_ she murmurs absently, and he can feel her snuggle him. "Hitoshi-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Th-Thank you. Really. For saying all that. It… It helps convince that irrational part of me that still is on Ty's side to shut up." There's another giggle, albeit watery and shy. Shinsō's heart could leap out of his chest or do a dumpster dive into his gut — he's not sure anymore. "Though, Hitoshi-kun, c-can I ask you one more thing?"

Shinsō loosens his hold to give her agency. "Sure."

Tomoko slowly pulls out of the hug, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes while still gripping his shirt. "Even with my dark parts, even when I'm oblivious and clueless, are you…" she paused again, looking down before meeting his stare. Her blue eyes aren't wavering, but they definitely show hesitance and vulnerability. A side of Hoshino Shinsō doesn't think he's seen before. "Are you still okay with me?"

Oh. The answer is immediate. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Tomoko fumbles, and her hands shake as she tries to find some kind of steady grip on his shirt. "I-I mean, I'm not exactly Hero material, Hitoshi-kun! I can talk a lot, I'm only really good at chocolate with my Quirk, and—"

Shinsō is very tempted to roll his eyes. "And? That's supposed to relate to this in _what way?"_

The pink on Tomoko's cheeks spreads outwards to be a light red. "Um. I wasn't exactly finished…?"

Shinsō decides to take a page from Gekkō's book by flicking Tomoko's forehead. Ignoring her protesting "_AH!", _he pulls her in by her shoulders to bump foreheads. He might have yanked too hard, but he still has something to say. Especially to that shadow hanging over her head. "You're still my friend, Tomoko. Quit listening to whatever voice is in your head and listen to _mine, _will you?"

Tomoko is still staring at him. "Hitoshi-kun…"

Shinsō closes his eyes. "I have no clue what Ty did to you. I don't think I _want_ to know if you came here by yourself, _missing _a jerk like him. But you were able to cut him off. You made it here, and I…" his cheeks are burning too, but he still bites it out. "I'm still glad that I met you. No matter what."

Tomoko stills. Then she shudders again. "O-Oh," she says, her hands are still clutching the front of his shirt and her voice shakes, but there's a smile in the sound. "Y-You _are _good at those cheesy lines after all, Hitoshi-kun."

Shinsō opens his eyes and looks into bright blue. Tomoko's eyes could've been like the sky. "I got it from you, you doofus."

A single, lone tear rolls down Tomoko's cheek as she nods. "A-Aye, aye." There's another pause and Tomoko nods again, as if confirmation to herself before smiling wider at him. "I'm glad I met you too, Hitoshi-kun."

Shinsō grins wryly and reaches over with his right hand to wipe the tear away. "Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Tomoko. Let's go back home to the dorms. I'll drive."

"Y-You mean," Tomoko reaches up to hold his hand in one of hers, leaning into it with a fond smile, "You'll _bike_ and I'll be riding with you?"

"Don't harp on it." He returns the grip even if he's blushing, but Tomoko's smiling and now things feel like how it's supposed to be. Warm and just _right. _"Unless you need tissues?"

Tomoko laughs again. "N-Nah. Just one thing."

"What's that—"

Shinsō feels himself turn to granite once Tomoko leans over to press a kiss to his cheek. Did that just—

The warmth disappears as quickly as it came and Tomoko smiles at him, still pink in the face. Did she just— "_Now_ we can go home!" she declares happily, and without a single second to spare, she pulls back to start skipping towards his bike, waving at him once she arrives. "C'mon, Hitoshi-kun!"

Yep. His friend just _kissed _him. Whoop-de-_fucking-_do.

Shinsō covers his cheek with his other hand, blinking rapidly. "H-Hoshino, what the heck—"

"Just a form of gratitude!" she chirps and he doesn't know if he's fooling himself or not, but she's _still _blushing. Just like him. "C'mon, Hitoshi-kun, let's go!"

"…What the hell," he says in tired disbelief before shaking his head. Maybe he could talk about that later because she _couldn't _just do that and expect him _not _to react. "I hope you're not heavy, unless you want to be dropped."

"Hey!" Tomoko's pouting. "I'll hang on! If you don't mind me hugging your waist and all!"

Shinsō scoffs under his breath, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "I will _so_ beat Ty's ass for you."

"_Fweh?_ What was that?"

"Nothing. Let's just go, Tomoko."

The Chocolate Fairy beams. "Aye aye then, Cap'n."

_Doofus._

Shinsō could talk with Aizawa-sensei later. There wasn't really a handbook on how Heroes handled romance, anyways. Maybe he'd have the answer another day. For now, he'd take this much.

For now.


	7. How to Pummel Ty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Inspired by some of Lang's text conversations that she wrote in Shell Game, and since past me did a couple of these almost a year ago, I wanted to revisit the concept.
> 
> Takes place a bit after Chapter 6. Texting names come from Shell Game and my old renditions back on Tumblr. Approved by Lang and Wing-chan.

_Chapter 7: How to Pummel Ty_

> **Purble: **Hey, Kei-san?  
**TMNT-TNT: **Yo, Hitoshi-san. What's up?  
**Purble: **Do you know who Ty is?  
**TMNT-TNT: **…I'm going to assume that's a loaded question. Because I haven't heard someone say that name in a year. Is it?  
**Purble: **Yeah.  
**Purble: **Tomoko was alone at a park, sitting at the swings and missing him.
> 
> **TMNT-TNT: **Shit.  
**TMNT-TNT: **I'm going to assume you got it handled, since you're asking about it?  
**Purble: **Biked her back to the dorms after a long hug, yeah.  
**Purble: **But I could tell that the guy was really eating at her. Just wanted to know if you knew anything about him.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Not that much, but Ty is a certified asshole and deserves to burn in hell, Hitoshi-san.
> 
> **Purble: **…That was a quick answer.  
**Purble:** I don't disagree with that, but whoa.  
**Purble:** _There's _the rumored delinquent I heard so much about in the first year.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Hah.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Seriously though.  
**TMNT-TNT: **I never knew the guy personally.  
**TMNT-TNT:** But he treated Tomo like shit.  
**TMNT-TNT:** And if I ever DID meet him, he'd be lucky to get hit by a fucking bus.  
**Purble: **Oh. Okay then.  
**Purble: **That's not exactly a Heroic thought to have, Kei-san.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Eh.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Don't care.  
**Purble: **I'm well aware of that by now.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Meh. Tomo deserves better.
> 
> **Purble: **…She does.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Does that help?  
**Purble: **A bit, yeah.  
**Purble: **I just don't know what to do to _help _her, Kei-san.  
**Purble: **She _kissed_ my cheek and hugged me, but didn't really say much else.
> 
> **TMNT-TNT: **Whoa.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Tomo must _really _like you if she kissed you.  
**TMNT-TNT: **When will the first date be?
> 
> **Purble: **Kei-san.
> 
> **TMNT-TNT: **Hah. XD  
**TMNT-TNT:** Teasing aside, I think you should focus on being there.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Tomo forgets things easily. Especially when she's alone.  
**TMNT-TNT: **As long as you're there to remind her that Ty's not around, Hitoshi-san, it should be fine.  
**TMNT-TNT: **I've been doing it for years.  
**Purble: **Ty really was shit, huh?  
**TMNT-TNT: **He's _still_ lucky he hasn't met the fucking business end of a sword.  
**Purble: **Remind me to never get you angry.  
**TMNT-TNT:** At least you're you and not _him._  
**Purble:** True.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Welcome to the "Pummel Ty" Club, Hitoshi-san.  
**Purble: **Who else is involved?  
**TMNT-TNT: **Davy, you, and me.  
**TMNT-TNT: **We're a small group, but Tomo needs a squad.  
**Purble: **Could we recruit more?  
**TMNT-TNT: **That would be up to Tomo.  
**TMNT-TNT: **The "Pummel Ty" Club was founded by Davy and me.  
**TMNT-TNT: **She doesn't know about it.  
**Purble: **Probably for the better.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Yep.  
**Purble: **I'll brainwash, you slash?  
**TMNT-TNT: **Yep.  
**Purble: **That sounds like a plan.  
**Purble: **If anything happens, I'll let you know.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Thanks.
> 
> **Purble: **She really is like your little sister, huh?  
**TMNT-TNT: **:) Yep.  
**TMNT-TNT: **So if anything comes out of that kiss you mentioned.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Expect interrogations.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Not from me.  
**TMNT-TNT:** Davy.  
**TMNT-TNT: **He's worse than me.  
**Purble: **…I'll keep that in mind.

* * *

> ****LittleKey: ****Hey. Hika-chan?  
**Dandelion: **What is it, Tomo-chan?  
**LittleKey: **What do you do when someone hurt you in the past and you're not sure how to talk about them?  
**LittleKey: **Can I...
> 
> **LittleKey: **Are you up for a long story?  
**Dandelion: **Sure.  
**Dandelion: **What's the matter?  
**LittleKey: **I think I'm starting to like Hitoshi-kun.  
**Dandelion: **_OMG_  
**Dandelion: **I support you two, Tomo-chan!  
**LittleKey: **I-I'm not finished yet!  
**LittleKey: **ヾ(￣o￣;)  
**Dandelion:**（≧ｙ≦＊）  
**Dandelion: **Sorry sorry. Go on.
> 
> **LittleKey: **It's just.  
**LittleKey: **I'm remembering an ex-friend I once had and I don't know if I deserve to be with Hitoshi-kun or not.  
**Dandelion: **Oh.  
**Dandelion: **Tomo-chan…  
**LittleKey: **A-And I'm scared that I'm gonna repeat my mistakes.  
**LittleKey:** I-I'm scared of hurting Hitoshi-kun, of hurting you, of hurting _anyone.  
_  
**Dandelion: **Tomo-chan.  
**Dandelion: **Hey.  
**Dandelion: **Did that ex-friend hurt _you?_  
**Dandelion: **Because then it's not your fault.  
**Dandelion: **We're not going to stop being friends just because one person was a jerk.  
**Dandelion: **I said I was going to support you, didn't I?
> 
> **LittleKey: **I-It's just, just…  
**LittleKey: **Kei and everyone I know tell me that he hurt me  
**LittleKey: **But I still feel like _I _hurt him.  
**LittleKey: **And I don't know
> 
> **Dandelion: **Tomo-chan.  
**Dandelion: **Did this friend of yours ever apologize for anything bad he did?  
**LittleKey: **…No.  
**Dandelion: **Did this friend ever do nice things for you?  
**LittleKey: **…Dependent on whether he was in a good mood.  
**Dandelion: **Did he hurt you?  
**LittleKey: **…He never noticed when I cried a majority of the time…?  
**Dandelion:** Urgh. That's not cool.  
**Dandelion: **That means he wasn't right for you.  
**Dandelion: **Tomo-chan, you're one of the sweetest people ever.  
**Dandelion: **You shouldn't let him ruin your life.  
**Dandelion:** ⊂((・▽・))⊃  
**Dandelion:** I can make your day instead if you want me to!
> 
> **LittleKey: **Hika-chan…
> 
> **Dandelion: **Wanna hang out and get ice cream?  
**Dandelion: **I can buy!  
**Dandelion: **And we can talk about your crush on Shinsō!  
**Dandelion: **Anything you want.
> 
> **LittleKey:**（；へ：）  
**LittleKey: **…Do you know a place with sea-salt ice cream?  
**LittleKey: **Tears make me lose lots of salt.
> 
> **Dandelion: **｡^‿^｡  
**Dandelion: **My brother's the chef and one of my best friends loves the stuff.  
**Dandelion: **Of course I do.
> 
> **LittleKey: **(T⌓T)  
**LittleKey: **G-Give me a minute.  
**LittleKey: **I need to chug water and grab tissues.
> 
> **Dandelion: **I'll be right there.
> 
> **LittleKey: **I love you, Hika-chan.  
**Dandelion: **o(^▽^)o  
**Dandelion:** Love you too, Tomo-chan.  
**Dandelion: **I'll see you soon.  
**LittleKey:** A-Aye.

* * *

> **Purble: **Hey Ms. Foreigner.  
**Purble: **Welcome to the "Pummel Ty" Club Group Chat.  
**Purble: **Secret to Tomoko and a squad to make sure ex-friend of hers doesn't come back.
> 
> **Dandelion: **? ? ?  
**Dandelion: **What the—  
**Dandelion: **The guy's name is "Ty"?  
**TMNT-TNT: **Hitoshi-san, what the hell.  
**TMNT-TNT:** I know we were a small group, but wtf is this.  
**Purble: **Just something to organize our efforts in case Ty shows up again.  
**UnluckySailor: **Really, Shinsō, I didn't know you read my language!  
**Purble: **Hey Davy-san. Welcome to the chat.  
**UnluckySailor: **( ￣ー￣)σ  
**UnluckySailor: **So I see our protection squad has grown to four people.
> 
> **Dandelion: **Wait wait wait  
**Dandelion: **You guys aren't planning to _kill _the guy, are you?  
**TMNT-TNT: **Not really.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Maim him.  
**UnluckySailor: **Castrate him!  
**Purble: **Insult him.
> 
> **Dandelion: **At least Shinsō sounds _reasonable. _  
**Dandelion: **I'd go with "Prank him" myself.  
**Dandelion: **Or give him a wedgie.  
**Purble: **That's probably better considering vigilante laws.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Bah.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Ty treated Tomo like shit.  
**TMNT-TNT: **AND caused her anxiety.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Still can't forgive him for that.  
**UnluckySailor: **Hear hear!  
**UnluckySailor: **NO ONE makes my little Sis cry and gets away with it!  
**Purble: **Don't exactly have the same feelings, but yep.
> 
> **UnluckySailor: **Hmmmmmm?  
**UnluckySailor: **Reallyyyyyy?  
**Purble: **Oi. Don't ask.
> 
> **Dandelion: **Uh.  
**Dandelion: **Where are we going to find Ty tho?  
**Dandelion: **And what am I supposed to do?  
**Purble: **Ms. Foreigner, you can get the ice cream to distract the Chocolate Fairy.  
**Purble:** I'll brainwash.  
**Purble:** Davy-san holds him down.  
**Purble:** Kei-san slashes.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Sounds about right.  
**UnluckySailor: **I'm all for it!  
**Dandelion: **That doesn't make me feel better! ! !  
**TMNT-TNT: **Hahahaha.  
**TMNT-TNT: **You'll get used to it, Leonhart-san.  
**TMNT-TNT: **Ty sucks.  
**Dandelion: **…Okay, fair point.

* * *

> ****Purble: ****Hey. Sensei?**  
******TiredTeacher: ****Shinsō.**  
******TiredTeacher: ****What is with this handlename?**  
******Purble: ****It fits, teach.
> 
> **TiredTeacher: **…Fine. What is it?  
**Purble: **Just wondering when training was going to start.  
**TiredTeacher: **The usual.  
**TiredTeacher: **Why.  
**Purble: **Do you know how to handle swords?
> 
> **TiredTeacher: **…  
**TiredTeacher: **What brought this on?
> 
> **Purble: **There's someone I'm thinking of slashing.  
**TiredTeacher: **…  
**TiredTeacher: **For Hoshino?  
**Purble: **For someone.  
**TiredTeacher: **It's for Hoshino, isn't it.
> 
> **Purble: **…  
**TiredTeacher: **Gekkō is a bad influence.  
**TiredTeacher: **But fighting for someone you care for is not wrong.  
**TiredTeacher: **It's only problematic when it blinds you from being a Hero.  
**Purble: **Aizawa-sensei…  
**TiredTeacher: **Try to bring Hoshino to a cat cafe before you wield a sword for her.  
**TiredTeacher: **That'll be better for you both.  
**Purble: **I'll think about it.  
**TiredTeacher: **I'll meet you at the Training Ground we always go to.  
**TiredTeacher: **Bring the binding cloth with you.  
**Purble: **Got it.


	8. Someone to Believe In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Sometimes, these ideas come by. Very quickly. This was very hard to write, but I got it. That guy in my heart is not going to stay in my personal theater anymore. He's going to the Exit without any refunds. Trigger warnings for implied verbal and emotional abuse.
> 
> May I recommend A King's Strategy — A No Game No Life Orchestration by Rush Garcia in honor of No Game No Life for a theme. For an alternative that's more fitting for the latter half of the chapter, I'll bring up Rush Garcia's rendition of You Say Run.
> 
> Because not everyone is cut out for being a hero. That doesn't make them worthless.
> 
> Based heavily off of real people that I both know and knew in real life, and let's just say writing this was cathartic. Enjoy.
> 
> Edit: Let it also be said that this version of Tomoko should be considered separate from her CP and S&S selves. So, for that one guest worrying about me writing out Kakashi, well, different universe! Different dynamics. Things happen. :p

_Chapter 8: Someone to Believe In_

"Neh neh, Shinsō!"

Shinsō was very tempted to put his hands to his ears to block out the sound of Ashido's voice, but this was still his classmate in Class 2-A, so he had to learn how to put up with it sooner or later. It was almost time for lunch after all, and Sensei was asleep in his sleeping bag. No getting around it. "What is it, Ashido?"

The pink girl had turned pinker at the sound of her name, smiling brighter as she looked very close to poking him. _"Hey! _You answered me!"

"Don't I answer everyone these days," he drawled sarcastically, but still opened one eye to look at her. "What is it."

Ashido clasped her hands together and leaned in very close while blurting out, "Are you and Tomo-chan going out?!"

Shinsō nearly fell out of his chair because at that moment, his legs decided to turn to granite. "Wh—"

Leonhart, who was sitting nearby, started snickering. Shinsō rounded on her with a glare and she didn't stop laughing, merely turning her head away while her shoulders shook. "G-Good question, Mina-chan, good question!" The mirth was obvious in her voice, making Shinsō's irritation spike just a bit more. "They do hang out a lot!"

"True, true!" Ashido's back in her corner again, nodding her head like something wise had just been said. "And with all the hugs Tomo-chan gives you, Shinsō, it's obvious you two have _something!"_

For once in his life, Shinsō wondered if it was the right idea to have friends. And for the umpteenth time, Shinsō sighs, very tempted to pinch the bridge of his nose but instead resorting to rubbing the back of his neck and turning away to not look at Pinky. "…You realize Tomoko hugs Hikari and Kei-san too, Ashido, right?"

Ms. Foreigner nearby is still snickering. Darn Leonhart.

And in spite of his remark, Ashido looks like she simply got more fuel to her fire, eyes _sparkling. _"You called Tomo-chan by her first name! And not 'Hoshino'!" She gasps theatrically. "You _do _have something with her!"

"I _so _ship you two!" the invisible Hagakure added with a squeal at the front of the room.

Goddammit.

Class rep Iida himself gets up from his seat with a start, chopping his hands through the air almost wildly. "I don't think relationships are ideal since we are all trying to be heroes—"

"Th-There's nothing wrong with relationships!" Uraraka adds her three cents, and Shinsō does not miss how she's a bit pinker than usual. "It brings more positivity to the room!"

Iida looks even more panicked at the prospect and his glasses start shaking from his grasping one of the handles hanging over his face. "Uraraka-kun, the support for your classmate is appreciated, but what if they get in the same _agency—"_

Goddammit, it was _loud._

"Will all of you _quiet down," _Sensei says suddenly from behind the front desk with an unamused grumble. "They're close friends at the moment so _stop _asking. I need to sleep."

All the muttering around Shinsō stops and he finds himself able to breathe.

"Wait—" Ashido is gasping even more now because _Aizawa-sensei _just piped in with his input. "Sensei, you _know_ what's going on between Shinsō and Tomo-chan?! Please tell us!" It's almost like she's _fishing _for some love gossip with the obvious glee in her voice. Shinsō doesn't know whether he should be morbidly intrigued or just sick to the dark pits of his stomach.

There's a shuffle of the same yellow sleeping bag and then a red eye is poking out of the black hole inside. The following answer was a simple and deadpan, "_No."_ A pause, and then he added an extended hand pointing his thumb downwards. "Get to lunch already." Without any second to spare, Aizawa rezips his sleeping bag and then there's a snore.

As if on cue, the bell rang.

"Darn it!" Ashido bemoans loudly.

"It's okay, Mina-chan," Hagakure says with an invisible hand clamping down on Ashido's shoulder. "We can look into it later."

"Hagakure-chaaaaan…" Hugging ensues.

Shinsō puts his face in his hands. "Thanks, Sensei," he muttered to himself, and the others start filing out of the classroom and into their groups while Midoriya and Ms. Foreigner herself stay behind. Leonhart is still snickering, glancing at him every once in a while to make kissing noises. Ugh.

"You okay, Shinsō-kun?" Midoriya asks, his hands holding his bento bundle and Shinsō can do nothing but shrug.

"I'll be fine," he says, and gets up from his desk to grab his school bag. He needed to get lunch too. "You can get to the cafeteria on your own, Midoriya. I have someone to wait on."

"I-If you're sure," Midoriya says, but the light in his eyes doesn't falter as he walks past. "Good luck with that, and I'll see you in class later?"

"Yeah." Shinsō rubs the back of his head while glancing at Leonhart. She's still looking away, shoulders shaking from snickers. He taps the back of her chair while passing to let her know. "We _both_ will see you later," he says casually. "You can count on that."

Midoriya beams and the moment could've ended there.

It could've.

_"S-Someone to wait on?!" _Oh _shit,_ Uraraka and Iida are still in the room. Uravity herself is staring wide-eyed at him, and he can see how a big smile has bloomed on her face. If Shinsō didn't know any better, hearts could've been flying behind her head from the sudden "realization" she was having. "D-Don't tell me—" Shinsō can already see the familiar name on Uraraka's lips just from reading her mouth.

Leonhart takes that moment to stop laughing and look at Uraraka with a warm smile. "Who else?"

Uraraka beams back. "Tomo-chan's coming here!"

Leonhart's grin grows wider as she pops the last syllable in her reply of, "Yeeeeep!"

Shinsō shoulders his school bag and walks over to the door, making sure not to bump Iida's shoulder on the way to wait. Iida's looking at him, wordlessly gaping and chopping his hands as usual, but Shinsō can't really find it in himself to care. He's a good class rep, but some things you just don't question.

It doesn't even take a second for blue eyes to peek out from around the hallway corner and then spot him.

A high-pitched _"Hitoshi-kuuuuuuun!" _echoes through the hallway and Shinsō hides a smirk. The blue hair ribbons are obvious even from a distance. The small petite figure closes in with the sound of shoes hitting the tile floors, and it's obvious Hoshino is running. She looks out of breath, still carrying her own school bag, but she's smiling at him and her blue eyes are still bright. "Hitoshi-kun!"

"Hey, Tomoko," he says, and he doesn't even hesitate to open his arms as soon as she's a meter away. This was a routine at this point. Screw onlookers, they were going to figure it out sooner or later. Even if he would regret the possibility of Ashido and the other girls _hounding _him on this kind of thing. But wait. She's running too fast. Oh no. "Wait a second, Tomoko, slow down—"

"Oh god," Midoriya says faintly behind him.

Iida's yelling frantically, saying a loud, "No running in the hallways, Hoshino-kun—"

_"Taaaaaaaaah!" _is the happy squeal-kind-of-noise leaving her lips and then Tomoko is jumping and barreling into Shinsō's chest in a tackle hug. Yep. He was too late. _Everyone _was way too late. Shinsō holds back the urge to groan, squeezing her anyways while twirling on his feet to try working off the momentum. Tomoko's giggling into his school blazer and cuddling him, and he's tempted to blush if not for the aching in his ribs representative of all of Hoshino's unintended force. "I found you, beloved friend! Hello!"

"Yes, yes, you did," Shinsō mutters tiredly into her hair, and he breathes in the rosemary scent that is Hoshino before tapping the top of her head with the back of his free hand. Still soft. "Hello to you too. But do you have to tackle me every single time?"

Tomoko pulls back as if slapped, and there's a kicked-puppy look in her blue eyes. "Uh," she says, caught off-guard, "if you don't like it, I can stop?"

Shinsō sighs and pets the top of her hair. "I didn't say I didn't like it, Hoshino. Just ease up on the running, okay? Davy would have a heart attack if something happened to you."

He leaves out the thought of, _I'd be worried too._

"It is also against school regulations to run in the hallways, Hoshino-kun!" Iida hotly interrupts, and Shinsō pretends to be invisible so Tomoko can notice him instead. "You may have a wonderful relationship with Shinsō-kun—"

"It wasn't intentional—" Shinsō decides to add sarcastically.

Iida continues, unabated with his usual hand chops. "But you could risk danger to others around you!"

Still. The smile is back on Tomoko's face as she nods, albeit sheepish in Iida's direction, raising her hand to salute to Shinsō and him. The gesture merely signified her energy coming back in full swing. "Aye aye, Cap'n Shinsō, Lieutenant Iida!" she chirps. "Roger that!"

"L—" Iida's thrown off guard. "Lieutenant? Not Class Rep?"

"I-I mean, Iida-san is Class _2-A's _Rep! I'm in 1-C!"

"Ohhhh," Midoriya says quietly. "That explains things."

Shinsō holds back an amused scoff just in time for Kei and Davy to approach. "Doofus. Be more observant."

"Eh—"

"My baby sis!" Davy coos loudly, and Tomoko has no chance to react before he's swooping her into his arms from behind, pressing his cheek into her hair and snuggling her. Shinsō actively backs up to give the adoptive siblings space. "This is where you ran off to!"

"N-Nii! Too tight, too tight!" Tomo's cheeks flush a light red from the close proximity and the surprise, resulting in Kei chuckling as soon as she flanks Shinsō's side, looking on with fondness in her black eyes. "K-Kei-chan, help!"

"Nope," Kei says simply, wearing a not-so-nice smile. _Wow._ "I'll stay with Hitoshi-kun over here, Tomo." Without skipping a beat, she glances behind her to wave at the others. "Hi, Midoriya-san, Uraraka-chan, Iida-san, Hikari-chan."

Leonhart lets out a laugh, getting up from her seat as soon as Midoriya is glancing between Davy and Tomoko in shock. "Hey, Kei! Ready for lunch?" The question was short, but it still was marked by how Iida looked caught between intervening and staring himself while Uraraka hummed, going along with the situation.

"Just about," Kei shares a glance with Shinsō and he rubs his neck. "Give it a minute." Meanwhile the hug?

It was ongoing. Going _way _past a minute. _Somehow._ Shinsō couldn't help but wonder what kind of house Tomoko grew up in considering who was hanging onto her with a death grip. And this was the guy with the Quirk that made him both "Unkillable" _and _"Extremely Unlucky." Anyone would die in his position at any second, and yet he was choosing to spend his time cuddling a certain someone who would give cuddles to _everyone else. _At least, that's how the scene looked to Shinsō.

"Tomo-chan, don't just run off without Nii! Nii needs you around too, y'know!" Davy's still cooing and Tomoko's still blushing. "Hugs are a family thing!"

"B-But," Tomoko's spluttering now, _huh,_ her hands are waving in the air, when did they start doing that? "H-Hitoshi-kun and Kei-chan are family too, Nii! Along with Hika-chan, Ochako-chan, and people in my class, and hugs are great! I don't—" there's another squeeze and she squeaks out in a nervous high-pitch, "see what's the problem!?" Davy's squeezing her tighter now. "_Eep!"_

Shinsō does his best to hide the happy blush at the whole "family" thing and shoots a glare at Kei once he starts hearing her snickering. Kei merely sticks her tongue out at him.

"Should we…" Midoriya fumbles, raising a shaky pointer finger to the two siblings, "should we stop them?"

Kei and Shinsō share a glance before shrugging. "Nah," they say in unison.

"Why can't I take your attention sometimes!?" Davy's actually starting to tear up. _How. _"You are growing up so fast, Tomo-chan! I _miss _you as a little girl! My favorite baby sis!" He's _still _hugging her, even with the obvious rain starting to drip down onto said little sis's head. "Why can't there be a time machine…?"

Tomoko in question is still pink and starting to squirm. "I-It was going to happen one day? And time machines don't exist! You still see me in _school,_ Nii! Even with the dorms!" It takes a single moment for her to reconsider her words. "A-And I think I was your _only _baby sis for the first few years… or something."

Uraraka is the first one to break out laughing. "Sh-Should we all just — _pffft — _go to lunch together?"

Shinsō freezes, but it's only for a second because Kei claps a comforting hand on his shoulder and Tomoko is finally away from her clingy upperclassman of a big brother, no thanks to a careful push. "S-Sure?" Tomoko's voice cracks, but it's really from the sudden offer than anything else. "That's fine? It'll be a big crowd, so we'll have to find a table fast?"

"Then let us be off, Hoshino-kun!" Iida declares, and Midoriya smiles in time with Tomoko's shy giggle. "Former Emergency Exit Iida Tenya shall escort you!"

_What._

Yep. Shinsō doesn't know what to make of it, but Kei is still around and Leonhart's suddenly flanking him now too. "C'mon, Purple Troll," Hikari muses, grabbing his right arm, "let's get you a social life!"

"I already _had _one—"

Kei chuckles. "That doesn't stop you from learning more."

Shinsō sighs. He still wasn't expecting the next moment.

"Oh! Wait a second!"

Iida starts in the middle of his march to the cafeteria. "Hoshino-kun?"

"Give me a minute, everybody." Tomoko jumps and everyone turns to look at her as she proceeds to run into the 2-A classroom of all things, ducking behind the front desk to kneel towards the head of a familiar yellow sleeping bag. She pokes the bag gently. "Aizawa-sensei?"

There's a grumble.

Midoriya and Iida both look like they're close to panicking with the nervous and serious faces they were wearing, but Shinsō watches out of curiosity. Tomoko reaches over to gently pat the head area of the sleeping bag this time with her free hand while clutching her school bag, whispering her words. It was almost like she was _used _to this. "Aizawa-sensei, could I see you for a second? I want to give something to you, and you can sleep as much as you want after this."

A pause. Then, to the shock of everyone except Kei, Leonhart, and Shinsō, the zipper in the front of the bag comes down and Sensei's grimacing, rubbing one of his eyes. Even though he was sleeping a few seconds ago, the nap made it look like he came out of a dungeon with the dark bags lining his eyes. "Make it quick. I'm tired." The red eyes symbolizing Eraserhead stares Tomoko down in anything but tired resignation. "What is it, Hoshino?"

Tomoko smiles and proceeds to pull out a small bundle of what looked like cookies from her bag, setting them down near Aizawa's nose. "Sweets for you as thanks for letting me see Hitoshi-kun's training session the other day, Sensei," she says in the same whisper, slowly getting to her feet while still smiling. "They're cat-shaped and have plenty of chocolate chips and almonds."

Aizawa goes cross-eyed at the bundle in front of him. "…Is it dark chocolate?"

The Chocolate Fairy nods. "Made just for you, Sensei." She rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet, hugging her school bag while nudging the gift closer to him with her free hand. "Feel free to share them with Mic-sensei if you want."

"Ohmigod," Davy says faintly. "So _cute…_ my baby sis, caring for people!"

Shinsō can't help but give him a look. "What are you, her brother or her _dad?"_

"I can be both!"

"That just invalidates Judai-jichan's entire blood relation with Tomo, Davy," Kei deadpanned.

"But does that make Kei and I the big sisters?" Leonhart adds her three cents. _Wow._

"Huh. I mean," Kei blinks in careful consideration, tapping her fingers against her forearms since she crossed her arms a long while ago. "I am a big sister already with Hayate. Having another sibling isn't a bad thing when I've known Tomo since forever."

Leonhart shoots finger guns at her with a grin. "Exactly!"

Kei grins back.

"You two quiet down!" Iida interrupts, still watching the scene from the doorway.

"Hm," Aizawa says finally and then a lanky arm reaches out of his sleeping bag to take the gift, making it disappear into the yellow sleeping bag with him before the zipper goes all the way up to cover his face. "…Get to lunch, Hoshino."

Tomoko giggles. "Aye aye. Have a nice nap, Sensei."

Everyone was still staring once she trotted over to return. Silence was a good way of approximating what was said in that moment.

Tomoko blinks, but is barely fazed, merely inclining her head in confusion. "Eh? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Yep. The Chocolate Fairy is _still _oblivious.

Uraraka coos and reaches over to wrap her arms around Tomoko's shoulders. "Never change, Tomo-chan."

"Eh? _Eh?"_

For once, Shinsō could see everyone else in the group agree without needing him to voice it too.

* * *

It's not everyday that the cafeteria isn't crowded and Lunch Rush is especially free for serving today, so Shinsō does his best to not run and get an order of a miso soup set. Iida had to come along with the rest of the Dekusquad, so that meant watching out for any accidental "rule-breaking." Even if everyone in the large gathering was hungry.

Which begs the mention.

_Growl._

"Uh," says Leonhart.

_Grooooooowl._

"Um," says Midoriya and Uraraka at the same time. Iida is already rounding on the person in question and a certain pianist stiffens.

"Tomo," Kei sighs from Shinsō's right side, "did you eat breakfast this morning before class?"

Tomoko is flushing an indignant pink as she nods vigorously. "I don't skip meals, Kei! I _ate!"_

"Uh-huh," Kei replies in clear disbelief. "Then why is your stomach sounding like a Tailed Beast?" The reference clearly flies over everyone's heads but Tomoko and Kei's. For once, Shinsō wishes he could get the joke. Or was it a joke?

The pink darkens to an embarrassed red and Tomoko ducks her head. "I… didn't eat much for dinner last night?" she confesses. "There was an assignment I wanted to finish before the morning, not to mention I wanted to make the cookies for Aizawa-sensei ASAP, so I went to sleep at… well, 11?"

"That's fine," Shinsō finds himself saying, much to Davy's visible exasperation and annoyance from over his shoulder, "But what time did you wake up?"

Tomoko's still not looking at anyone. "…Seven," she says finally. "Still eight hours of sleep. I think."

Kei sighs again and merely reached over to pat Tomoko's head before approaching Lunch Rush. "Hey, Lunch Rush-san?" she asks, pointedly ignoring the pianist's confused mouse noises. "Please give Tomo the largest seafood curry serving you got. With some shrimp tempura on top."

Leonhart snickers as Tomoko flushes. "H-Hey!"

"You need nutrition, Tomo," Kei says flatly, adding to Lunch Rush, "Chicken ramen for me please," before turning back and flicking Tomoko's forehead. There's a squeal of protest, but Kei is barely fazed while going on with her talk. "Your Quirk takes a lot out of you and I don't think I need to bring up your internship with Recovery Girl."

"I-It's more like volunteering than interning, Kei…"

Lunch Rush proceeds to slide a tray holding white rice and the ordered curry over the counter and Kei doesn't hesitate to take it and promptly shove it into Tomoko's arms. Not enough to spill, but enough for her to carry _something _to eat. "My point still stands. Just take this and accept friendly love."

Tomoko goes wide-eyed at the tray before nodding and ducking her head. The reply is barely audible if not for everyone being close by to hear it, Shinsō included. "…Love you too, Kei."

Shinsō decides to ignore the bit of _"what the hell" _curling in his gut at the words.

Kei smirks and proceeds to pat her shoulder before pushing her towards Shinsō. Now what? "Don't I know it. So get going and find a table, Tomo!"

It takes a careful sidestep for Tomoko to not bump into Shinsō's shoulder, but she's still pink and now pouting towards Kei who made herself a meter or so away. "You better not start a fight with the Hero students and Nii, Kei!"

There's a distant answer of, _"No promises!"_ but Tomoko's now looking at Shinsō and her blue eyes are sheepish and honest. Just like her. "Well, Hitoshi-kun, putting my obnoxious best friend aside, wanna go?"

Shinsō doesn't know if Kei did it on purpose or not, but having the pianist here at his side definitely made his day feel a bit better. That dark part of his gut was gone now and he smirked back. "Sure," he says simply, balancing his miso tray on his left hand while reaching over to pat Tomoko's head with his right. Her hair was _still _soft. "Let's go, Tomoko."

_"Muuuuu, _what is it with you getting onto the 'patting my head' train?" Tomoko's puffing her cheeks like a squirrel, but it's obvious she doesn't mean the complaint with the sparkles in her eyes. "It feels like I really _am_ becoming the little sis of the group!"

"It's not a bad thing," Shinsō carefully points out, nudging her with his shoulder so she could start walking. "That means everyone cares for you."

"True, but," Tomoko's starting to whine a bit, _huh,_ Shinsō doesn't think he's heard her whine before. "I don't want to be a baby _forever._ I wanna help you and everyone else out too."

Shinsō holds onto his tray to hide the pleased grin growing on his face. "And here I thought you weren't a Hero hopeful like the rest of us. Aside from Kei-san."

To his surprise, Tomoko rounds on him with a surprised face before the light in her eyes seems to die a little. Huh? "…I'm still not," she says, quieter, and Shinsō blinks as she carefully walks past him to stand near an empty table. Tomoko then raises her head to smile and wave at him, and Shinsō would've taken it as genuine if not for how dull her blue eyes look now. "C'mon, Hitoshi-kun, let's sit and wait for the others."

Shinsō blinks, feeling a bit out of place. There was that feeling in his head again, that Tomoko was thinking about _something _unpleasant and this time she was actively trying to hide it. "You sure?"

Tomoko smiles again and sits down, patting the nearby space on the bench. Some of the light is coming back into her eyes, but not all of it is truly _there._ "Aye."

Shinsō sighs quietly to himself. From the looks of things, this was probably something he couldn't handle alone. And considering…

"Shinsō! Wait for us!"

Leonhart, Kei-san, and everyone else was here too.

They could get an answer out of Tomoko. Hopefully. Shinsō was banking on her having honest, looser lips than Kei-san and Davy combined.

* * *

Leave it to Iida to talk first. He barely even touches his white rice before waving his chopsticks in the air as a form of starting the conversation. "So, Hoshino-kun, you are in General Studies?"

"1-C, Iida-san, yes," Tomoko says gently, scooping a small spoonful of her seafood curry to bite on. She chews thoughtfully before finishing with, "I'm a year younger than everyone here."

"And yet you still ended up with us dorks," Hikari teased with a finger gun and Tomoko shrugged, smiling at her. "You regret it?"

"Nope!"

Shinsō carefully slurped his soup, carefully enjoying the warmth in the room.

_"Awww," _Uraraka coos, and she's pink with joy as she bounces in her chair, daftly avoiding accidentally elbowing Midoriya who's sitting next to her. "You _are _a little sis, Tomo-chan! Both in UA and at home!"

"Oh, stop that," Tomoko waves it off with a frantic raised right hand, blushing now, "I already have Nii to handle. Not to mention Kei. I dunno how much more I can dedicate to other people, Ochako-chan." Once Davy and Kei are exchanging a glance over the table, though, Tomoko pales and she adds, "Not that I mind you two! I love you two very much!"

Davy "awwwww"s loudly and smiles. Right across from him, Kei chuckles and reaches over to pull the girl into a warm side-hug. "We love you too, Tomo," she says quite warmly. "Just don't overwork yourself."

"I-I'm trying?"

"Just eat your lunch, dork. I didn't ask Lunch Rush to include extra shrimp for _nothing."_

"But… I thought you hated shrimp, Kei."

"I _still _do."

Shinsō drinks his miso soup again to hide the scoff of amusement lingering in his throat.

"Which reminds me, Hoshino…san?" Midoriya tries, and now everyone is looking at him, Shinsō included. "Why are you staying in General Studies? With the way your Quirk works and your work with Recovery Girl, I would've thought you would want to be a Hero like Shinsō-kun…"

Well _damn. _Midoriya was getting nosy.

Kei's eyes go wide first. "What brought this on, Midoriya-san?"

Tomoko's spoon was halfway to her mouth before it dropped to her plate with an audible clatter.

Midoriya blinks, and it's only then that he realizes the situation and he fumbles. "I-I just, I was just wondering! Everyone in the General Studies Course seems to look at the Hero Course pretty badly, so to see Hoshino-san here with us and _happy,_ I was curious…" He scratches at his freckles before glancing at Shinsō. "No offense intended, Shinsō-kun, considering you're here with us too after last year."

"N-None taken," Shinsō says dully, but it really could've been said with more emotion considering how Tomoko hasn't moved. At _all. _Her spoon was still sitting on her tray. "Think you have to work on your timing though, Midoriya."

"Wh-Why's that?" Iida's chopping his hands through the air. "It was an honest question! I was wondering the same thing!"

"B-But, Iida-kun," Uraraka's face had turned worried now too, and she glances between him and the motionless Tomoko. "I don't know if Tomo-chan's up for answering…"

"About that…" Davy starts to whistle, and Shinsō glances at Leonhart only to see her shrug helplessly. "That's kind of a long story…"

Shinsō didn't know whether to laugh or stare because Davy unknowingly echoed a line he _knew _Tomoko said many times before.

Tomoko twitches and all the rabble at their table stops once she takes a deep breath.

Kei inclines her head, squeezing Tomoko's shoulders tighter. "Tomo?"

Hikari leans in close too, her smile dropping for a worried frown as she offers a hand. "Tomo-chan?"

Tomoko raises her head and she smiles weakly at the two. Shinsō doesn't miss how everyone at the table with the exception of the Dekusquad exhale a sigh of pure relief. "I-I'm okay, you two," she adds quietly, and she raises her hands to reach out towards Kei and Leonhart. Both females immediately grip her hands back in return and Tomoko smiles again. It's almost as if the warmth came back to the cafeteria with that one expression. "I'm okay."

Screw this. He couldn't wait around either. Shinsō gently put down his miso soup and reached over to pat Tomoko's head. She didn't move, but the sideways glance in his direction was enough.

And then, with no pause, Tomoko glances between each member of the Dekusquad before lowering her head and letting go of Kei and Leonhart's hands, her hair ribbons coming down to frame her shaded face. Kei lets her shoulders go too, for the sake of space, probably. "I… I probably should've shared my story sooner or later. If you don't mind something… well, depressing."

Midoriya notices the situation almost immediately, clapping a nervous hand down onto Iida's shoulder to stop the hand chopping, just as Uraraka pipes up with a small, "You sure, Tomo-chan?"

"I'm sure, Ochako-chan, I'm sure." In spite of Tomoko nodding, Shinsō does not feel convinced and neither does Davy, considering he reaches across the table to push the girl's water cup in her direction. "Thankie, Nii," she says, warmth creeping into her voice, and then takes another breath. She picks up her spoon to absently stir her curry. "I… I used to want to be a hero. Papa was a hero before I was born anyways."

"A pro hero?" Suddenly Midoriya has a notebook in his hands and he's flipping through the pages. "Your father, Hoshino-san?"

Tomoko smiles. "I-I think you might find him in your notes, Midoriya-san. 'Neos.'"

Shinsō freezes. That name was only in _textbooks_ until now. Just, just. _What?_

It does not take long for Midoriya to find the page he's looking for and he's gaping. "Th-Th-The former Number 10 Hero twenty years ago?! I-I know he retired for family reasons, but I didn't think—"

Uraraka is now staring at Tomoko like she's a goddess of some kind. "I-I didn't know your family was _famous, _Tomo-chan!"

"N-No, no, it's just Papa!" But Tomoko's smiling and the air seems a bit warmer with it.

Kei snickers in time with Tomoko's giggling. "Marriages are supposed to be private, aren't they?" she adds dryly, patting Tomoko's back. "Judai-jichan doesn't like bragging about it."

"The mass media are _shit _anyways," Davy interrupts and he's clutching his donut a bit tighter. "When I met him and Tomo-chan, Neos was already long gone. He would like to keep it that way, so," Davy bites into his donut hard enough for some jelly to squirt onto the table. He chews then levels a glare towards everyone, Shinsō included. "Could you guys just keep it a secret?"

"I solemnly swear!" Hikari says first, putting a hand to her heart. Shinsō's speechless, but he does the same, nodding vigorously. Iida has put it upon himself to shut his own mouth, saluting in time with Midoriya's loud, "YES!" so that was that.

Tomoko's smile loses a bit of its warmth in exchange for seriousness as she nods. "Thankie, everyone," she says, and then she stirs a bit of rice into her curry. "I guess, to start things off, I only figured out Papa was Neos when I was little. When… When…" she pauses.

"When?" Uraraka repeats gently.

Shinsō doesn't miss how her lip quivers around the syllable "T". _Of course it's that douchebag._ Instead of voicing that thought, he offers a hand to her. "Tomoko?"

Kei looks at him questioningly from over Tomoko's hair, but Shinsō can't find it in himself to care. Right now, what mattered was helping someone. And this was reminding him of that time at the swings. He couldn't stand by and do _nothing, _especially as a future Hero.

The Chocolate Fairy raises her head and shock is shining in those blue eyes before morphing into something soft. Shinsō didn't want to delude himself into thinking it was love, but her voice was sweet all the same. "Thankie, Hitoshi-kun," she says and without hesitation, reaches over to place her palm in his. He starts from _holyshit, we're doing this,_ but squeezes her hand anyway, and a light pink brushes Tomoko's cheeks. "…Think I can continue?"

"Sure, but if something happens, I'm willing to brainwash everyone to forget this," he says immediately.

There's a pause. "_Wow, _Hitoshi, I think I'm a bad influence on you," Kei then deadpans with a large grin. "And here I thought _I _was the delinquent."

"Hah," Shinsō replies, but squeezes Tomoko's hand tighter. "I meant it."

Tomoko blinks and then Leonhart snickers first. Tomoko giggles next and she shakes her head. "I-I don't want your Hero image getting ruined, Hitoshi-kun. As reassuring as your words are, I want to say this, okay?"

"A-And that might cause more trouble, Shinsō-kun!" Iida hotly interrupts, and Shinsō does not miss how Midoriya slowly inches off the bench. "Let Hoshino-kun speak!"

"Fineeeeeee," Shinsō grumbles immaturely, closing his eyes. He doesn't let go of her hand. He doesn't think he could anyway. "I'm not going anywhere."

A second later, there's a tug on his fingers. Shinsō opens his eyes and looks into hesitant blue ones. Tomoko's looking at him. "You sure?" she says quietly.

A fond sigh leaves his lips and Shinsō adjusts his hand so that they can intertwine their fingers. Uraraka and Leonhart both are giving them happy looks of sorts while Davy looks like he could burn holes into his head from his stare, but Shinsō still can't find it in himself to care. Only one person mattered right now. "When was I not sure, Hoshino?" He squeezes her hand tighter and Tomoko's blush darkens to a light red. "Just talk. I'm here."

He wasn't All Might. There was no way he could _be _All Might. But Shinsō was tempted to try.

Tomoko takes a sharp breath before nodding, and she glances between their hands and Shinsō's face. "O-Okay," she says, quieter and _definitely _embarrassed, but she squeezes his fingers back. "I-I blame you if my heart gives out from this before my story."

"Sure, sure," Shinsō agrees. He doesn't plan on letting go. Nope.

"I got the water in case of meltdown!" Hikari adds in suddenly and happily, and sure enough, she has a water bottle in hand. What the heck. "No worries, Tomo-chan! You got this!"

"I-I don't think water is the way to go for meltdowns, Leonhart-san," Midoriya comments nervously, but he's definitely looking away from this public display of affection. Ugh.

"I don't regret it," Shinsō concludes flatly, and he leans in to bonk Tomoko's head. She yelps, Iida's suddenly yelling, but he keeps his voice down so only she could hear. "I'm not letting you be alone. Ever."

Tomoko jolts again, but it seemed to make a mark because now her eyes are watery when looking up at him. "I-I know. I got it. Just, um," she exhales shakily, "C-Could I get the space to talk, Hitoshi-kun?"

Shinsō rolls his eyes but does so. "Go on then."

With her free hand, Tomoko covers her eyes, her ears now pink. "What is it with me and dorks…?"

"Is that an insult?" Shinsō deadpans.

"N-No."

"You _live_ with them, Tomo," Kei adds dryly, giving a not-so-nice smirk, "Deal with it."

Tomoko sighs and puts her head to the table. "—reaffirms why I don't why to be a hero."

Midoriya blinks. "H-Hoshino-san?"

"Everyone here just reminds me of _why _I chose not to be a hero," Tomoko repeats, and this time Shinsō feels his heart truly freeze. "Because I want to support people like you, Midoriya-san, who knows how to handle their powers to help people, and… and it would help me remember that Ty doesn't define my life anymore."

There's a distinct sound of something snapping, and Shinsō looks past Tomoko's shoulder to see _broken_ chopsticks in Kei's fists. Welp. Shinsō can't blame her. _His _name got brought up in the conversation after all. "Tomo…" Kei sounds close to growling. "He's a certified asshole."

"I-I know," but Tomoko's reply sounds weak. "I know."

Davy's fork had snapped too. "He came back?"

"Nonononono, _no,_ Nii, Ty is gone. He's _been _gone." Tomoko's gripping Shinsō's hand tighter now and Shinsō carefully hides a wince. "I'm okay. I'm _okay,_ I'm just…" she ducks her head away this time, so Shinsō carefully offers a shoulder as soon as she leans in close to him. Tomoko glances at him before nodding and gently resting her head against his blazer for a single second, taking a breath. "I'm just remembering him. He wasn't good."

"T…" Uraraka stumbles over the name. "Ty? Was this person…"

There's something like horror showing in Midoriya's eyes now as Leonhart sits up straighter. "Is this the guy who hurt you, Tomo-chan?" Leonhart asks immediately, and the one water bottle in her hands is infinitely closer to Tomoko in question as a worried expression dawns on her face. "Is this about that ex-friend?"

"Ex-friend?" Iida repeats in disbelief.

Tomoko nods, slowly too, and she loosens her grip on Shinsō's hand. "It was way before I came to UA. Before I met Kei-chan." Shinsō takes a breath with the gesture, rubbing the back of her palm with his thumb in the hopes of being a rock. In the hopes of being some ground. "Ty was… Ty was my first love."

Even if hearing that last part hurt more than any other punch Aizawa-sensei gave in training. Even if Shinsō had heard it before, it still _hurt._

"Oh god," Uraraka says faintly. Iida's jaw drops too.

"It… It was a bit after I found out Papa was formerly Neos. Ty was seven. I was five. We were together for… for ten years, now that I think about it." There's a smile on Tomoko's face as she slowly lifts her head from Shinsō's shoulder, but Shinsō doesn't need to be close by to know the smile was fake. That the smile was broken. "We got along at first, liking the same shows and cooking together. Mama and Papa liked him too. Nii too, I think." Davy's scowl nearby clearly showed he didn't feel the same anymore, though. "It was only a year in that… that he might've shown his true colors."

Iida is deathly quiet as his hands clench into tight fists near his tray. "Did he hurt you?"

"No _shit, _Iida-san," Kei snaps, but Tomoko's flinching and Kei reels back, shooting her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Tomo."

"I-It's okay, Kei-chan, really." Tomoko's gone back to calling Kei with the "-chan" honorific, even though Shinsō's sure she hasn't used that since the beginning of the school year. "You're not alone in feeling that way if Nii is any indication."

"Yeah," Davy growls, but his gaze is anything but angry as soon as Shinsō looks up at him. Davy's brown eyes are pointed at Tomoko and Tomoko alone, and his mouth was trembling between a frustrated frown and a worried line. "Tomo-chan…"

"I-I guess," Tomoko waves her other free hand helplessly in the air, "the only reason why I'm bringing him up is because _he's _the one who convinced me to not be a hero. _Because _he wanted to be a hero."

Iida blinks. "Hoshino-kun…"

"I-It's not that I'm stopping all of you who want to be heroes!" Tomoko's fumbling more now but Shinsō squeezes her hand anyways. She shoots him a glance of surprise before taking a deep breath. "Being a hero is a nice thing. You help people, get compensated properly, and make the world a better place. I really _really _respect that." Through her hair, Shinsō could swear Tomoko's smile looked more nostalgic. Happy, almost, if not for her hand shaking under his grip. "I… I just couldn't make the standard. I never could. Ty cut me down before anyone else could in saying I could _never _be a hero. That I was better off dead."

Leonhart nearly breaks a plastic cup herself and Uraraka looks close to punching someone. "What."

Davy gasps wordlessly.

"To Ty, heroes were… were worthless. He wanted to be a hero to fuck up all of society, now that I think about it. He hated Papa's identity too, when I accidentally said it one day." Tomoko's grip on Shinsō's fingers loosened and her voice dropped to a dry deadpan Shinsō never thought he could hear from her of all people. "Because Papa couldn't save him. _Heroes_ weren't able to save him from his family. Because no one listened to him when he got hurt. No one hero handled the kids in a way that helped _outside of money. _Except me. And he didn't _want _me."

"Hoshino-san…" Midoriya says gently, but even then, his green eyes were close to watering. Was he feeling the same? "Ty… Ty was like Kacchan to you, wasn't he?"

Shinsō glances at Uraraka and she shakily mouths _"Bakugo" _to him. Oh fuck.

Tomoko shudders and suddenly there's a droplet near her tray that wasn't there before. Oh _fuck. _"I-I'm not sure, Midoriya-san. I just remember trying to help him feel better, making chocolate over and over and _over _for him, and then I remember him yelling at me. Over and over and _over. _Even after he moved away, even after Kei-chan came into my life, he found a way to come back on the phone when Nii and Kei-chan weren't looking." The droplets then become two. Then three. Then five.

Davy's caught between reaching out and fumbling. "T-Tomo-chan—"

Tomoko shakes her head. "I-I wasn't good enough. My Quirk would _never_ be good enough to help people as a Hero. He constantly said I couldn't be a Hero. Even when I looked up to _him _and what he could do, he never really _believed _in me. He said my being a hero-idealist would only lead to me being killed by villains, and that I wasn't _worthy _to be in his world if I didn't change. I would _die _like any other shitty person if I kept thinking I was going to be saved. If I kept thinking I could save everyone. If I didn't see people as selfish monsters that didn't care for jack _shit _like him." A soft, dry laugh leaves Tomoko's lips. "He was the one who said Heroes were worthless and that he was going to be a Hero to change that. To re-educate ignorant people like me and everyone else. That's when… when calls became meetings. He spoke a lot more. He didn't notice when I cried after every phone call." Tomoko shudders, shrinking into herself. "I-It's when I decided to come to UA and he failed that he snapped."

Uraraka definitely is close to fuming. Hikari on the other hand looks very close to wrinkling her nose in a very ugly expression while Iida's glasses had long fogged over. Midoriya looks caught between anger and crying himself now.

Shinsō himself is very tempted to punch the table.

Instead of any other reaction, Kei puts a hand to Tomoko's head to pull her in for a side hug. "He's _fucking _lucky he didn't get hit by a bus, Tomo," she growls lowly, stroking Tomoko's hair. "Because to be a teacher means to _not _be a fucking asshole."

Tomoko sniffles, shaking her head while trying to pull out of the hug. "H-He was right, though. I cry a lot, I can't exactly fight without freezing up first, and — and," she looks at her lap, many droplets falling down to form a small puddle near her chilling curry. "Chocolate can't save everyone. Not everyone _wants _to be saved, and not everyone wants to hear a little naive girl like me. People… Some people are just like that. Some people are just… just _toxic_ like that. Even when you trust them. Even when you love them more than anything in the whole world."

And with those words out in the air, there's silence. Midoriya opens his mouth, Tomoko's name clearly on his lips before he closes it, looking away. His hands clench into hard and tight fists too, just like Iida's. Meanwhile Davy's cracking his knuckles, but Shinsō cuts to the chase by squeezing _her _hand. Making sure to not let up. "…You're still here, Tomoko," he says as gently as he can in spite of the anger spiking in his blood. "You're still at UA, with all of us. You still pushed him away."

To everyone's surprise, there's a soft, tinkly giggle. It's different from the dry laughter from before in how sudden and _warm _it is. Shinsō can feel the blood roaring through his ears now with the giggle, and then Hoshino is looking up at him with red-rimmed yet _bright blue _eyes. "It's because of you and everyone here that I am, y'know," she sniffs. "I-It's because of you that I could even _tell_ him 'No.'"

Shinsō found himself speechless. "Wh…"

Midoriya's blushing. "W-Wait, Hoshino-san, did you really—"

Tomoko giggles again. "The Sports Festival for the first years back in my last year of middle school was really famous, Hitoshi-kun, didn't you know?" She's rubbing her thumb against Shinsō's now and her smile this time looked more like _Hoshino _than any others today. "It was because of your fights with everyone that I decided I wanted to go to UA. That I was going t-to be a Hero in my own way. Without being in the Hero Course."

Shinsō's blushing just like Midoriya now. Goddammit. His cheeks are definitely burning, his hand is starting to get sweaty, but Tomoko's not letting go of him. "I didn't _win,_ Hoshino," he points out dully.

"So?" Tomoko's giggling again and she's leaning into Kei's hug like she would when she was happy. "Kei didn't win either, and she threw her fight with Bakugo just to piss him off. And Nii looked like a nerd. Hika-chan was just… yeah, she was weirdly badass."

Kei's chuckling, Ms. Foreigner in Hikari was dropping her ugly face for the biggest grin in the world, and Davy's yelling a loud "HEY", but the smile on Tomoko's face was still _there._ It wasn't going away. Her grip wasn't loosening either. "Everyone else too. Iida-kun, Ochako-chan, Midoriya-san." She glanced at each member of the Dekusquad with that same smile. "You all proved that Heroes can do things. That they _can _save people. That they aren't worthless to believe in. And, well, even if _I_ can't be a Hero, even if there's people like… like _Ty _out there," she shrugs, gripping Shinsō's hand tight enough for him to feel her pulse if he focused, "I can do something. General Studies let me meet you all for real. And I can be a supporter bringing something sweet back after a hard day for the most Heroic people I know in the whole wide world, can't I?"

Tomoko raises her head and smiles with tears in her eyes. "I-I think I can s-save the Heroes too when they're in trouble, right?"

_I can do something too, right?_

The resulting silence does not even last a second before Uraraka is standing up from her seat and running over to tackle Tomoko in a warm hug from behind. Tomoko squeaks loudly, Uraraka doesn't let go, and then Hikari is jumping up and doing the same. Kei's already there, providing ground support from Tomoko's left side with a side-hug while Shinsō leans in gently to take up her right, awkwardly trying to do the same. There's not enough space, but they could manage. Because of the dogpile being so big, Davy's crying together with Midoriya in their seats while Iida's chopping the air with something in his eye too, but they're all _here._

"O-Of course you can, Tomo-chan," Uraraka whispers vehemently, tucking her nose into the crown of Tomoko's black hair to hide a sniffle. It almost looked like Tomoko had bedhead with how much Uraraka was nuzzling her. "Of _course_ you can. When Deku-kun, Iida-kun, Shinsō-kun, and I all strike out in the real world, w-with our agencies, you'll be the first person we scout. Promise."

Tomoko giggles again, and this time it's shaky from the tears. "I-I don't know, Ochako-chan. I think I need a P-Provisional License for that."

"Recovery Girl could do something," Kei suggests quietly, and her hands haven't moved since they went on to hold Tomoko's shoulders. "You've been working for her almost all year, Tomo. A recommendation letter is simple enough."

"N-Not to mention," Midoriya wipes at his eyes before pushing his notebook near the now cold curry tray. "Hoshino-san, I-I could pull up my old notes on Neos' old fighting style. We could help you get better at fighting." His face turns into a grimace as he looks on. "T-Ty was horrible in saying all that to you when you're more of a Hero than he ever was."

Iida's nodding vigorously with more hand chops, having gone almost silent if not for one specific declaration. "Choosing not to be a Hero and still helping others is a valid and powerful decision, Hoshino-kun. No one has the right to say otherwise."

Tomoko gasps once, but before she could say anything, Davy interrupts with an overexaggerated blow of his nose into a nearby napkin. "It's why you are _still_ my baby sis, Tomo. You _care _s-so much for other people and, and Ty didn't _deserve _you. I'm horrible in thinking he was ever a good friend."

"N-Nii—"

"We'll cheer you up, Tomo-chan." Hikari's pushing the water bottle from earlier into Tomoko's free hand with a shaky grin. "We'll always be here."

"Besides, Tomoko," Shinsō tugs on their intertwined fingers and the light force was apparently enough to tug Tomoko out of the dogpile and into his arms. She's still red, she's still tearing up, _he's _blushing, but Shinsō holds on anyways and breathes in the rosemary scent that is _Hoshino. _"You made it. You're here. And we're not leaving you."

Tomoko shudders and then a wet patch starts growing in the middle of his school blazer. There's an additional whimper. Shinsō holds back a sigh to hug her tighter, ignoring the stares of everyone else at the table while doing so. She's earnestly, _openly _crying now, even if she's muffling the noise by curling up and hiding away in the hug. On another day, Shinsō probably would've complained about the commotion considering the number of _eyes _from everyone else pointed into his back, but this was a moment. There was no point in breaking it. "You don't have to put the whole world on your back, Hoshino," he says gently. "Leave that to the Heroes."

"B-But," Tomoko chokes on a sob, "I-I don't want to see you all _hurt!"_

No one misses how she fumbles with Shinsō's jacket, as if she was about to add, _because of me._

He sighs. "With you here with us," Shinsō presses a kiss to the messy crown on her head without thinking, "I don't think that's a problem. I trust you. Now let it out quick so we can get back to eating lunch."

_"W-Waaaaaaaaah,_ y-you dorks…"

Kei joins in on the hug with a soft hum. "We're _your _dorks, Tomo. Always."

Hikari smiles. "Friends forever."

Everyone ends up having to visit a microwave to finish eating, not to mention being late to class by about an _hour, _but the brightness in Tomoko's voice afterwards was worth it.

Shinsō can ask her for laundry detergent to fix his snotty shirt later.

* * *

The first time Shinsō meets Ty for real, he can't believe it's actually happening.

For all that he was said to be, from "resident jackass" to "someone who treated Tomo like shit," his appearance is almost _normal._ Lanky frame, narrow brown eyes, and short black hair covering his head like those Korean pop idols from some of Jirou's music videos. He's wearing a white-blue checkered button-up shirt and jeans, looking more like a simple college student than any kind of Hero. Hell, he barely towers over Shinsō by a few centimeters, but Tomoko's freezing at Shinsō's side and Shinsō already knows it's _him._

"Oh. Hey, Tomoko," he says casually, waving a hand at her. "How's UA working for you?"

"T—" Tomoko's gripping Shinsō's hand tighter and she's already inching closer to hide in his shadow. Shinsō doesn't even have to look to know her blue eyes are wide and losing their light, _fast._ It _was _him. "What are you doing here, T-Ty?"

"What's so wrong with visiting my old childhood friend? I was wondering how things were going, especially considering you didn't show up in the Sports Festival Finals for the first years." Something dark surfaces in those brown eyes and Ty shrugs nonchalantly. "You said you were going to win, weren't you? Because that wasn't a win to me." His smile looks almost mocking. "What happened to all those times I taught you, huh? Did you forget in your time at UA?"

Tomoko starts to shiver behind him and Shinsō feels something in him snap. "Oh yeah? What about you? Studying going good for you?"

Ty rounds on him with a frown, the fake nice-guy act dropping for plain disgust. "Hey, I wasn't talking to you, vil—" And just like that, those narrow brown eyes go blank and his frown drops entirely. Shinsō has him.

"Go around the street corner and punch yourself," Shinsō barks and without hesitation, Ty turns on the heel of his foot to walk down the sidewalk where he came.

It's only when that checkered shirt turns past a corner and disappears that the hand gripping his loosens. Tomoko's staring at him again. "Hitoshi… kun?" She sounds breathy, in disbelief. "Did you—"

Shinsō turns to her and smiles. Those blue eyes he started to love a long time ago are now back with their light again. "What do you know," he says softly, pulling her in for a warm hug. "He wasn't that scary after all."

Tomoko shudders and her hands reach up to clutch the back of his jacket. "Y-You didn't have to do that, Hitoshi-kun."

"I had to," Shinsō insists, and he makes sure to tuck her nose into his chest before discreetly pressing a kiss to her hair. "I have to keep up my position of someone you believe in as a Hero, don't I?"

With a small jolt, Tomoko curls in on herself and snuggles him. "D-Dork." There's no malice in the word. If anything, it's affectionate and something clearly _Hoshino._ "You took Kei and Nii's dibs on him."

Shinsō laughs. "They can work on those dibs later. I have you with me first. Now let's get out of here before my Brainwashing wears off."

"M-Mm."

Shinsō keeps a hold on her hand the entire time they go back home to the dorms.

They had a lot to talk about later.

* * *

_A/N: _There's an [OST playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZafwRYZi18iJBJ30wUWXEzbUA0WU8tvY) for this story now. Rejoice.


	9. The Heart of a Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Let's just say Kirishima very much reminds me of Josh. Leo definitely agrees with the notion. So let's do this.
> 
> This chapter should easily solidify that this is an AU Tomoko because she and Kakashi do not get together unlike in CP! Kei exists too so there's that! And that this is also my direct homage to Josh and Leo, my best boys, in the best way I can, because Naruto simply does not have enough characters for me to honor them correctly in writing form.
> 
> Themes are (1) Hero's Shadow from My Hero Academia's own OST, and (2) Yuusha-tachi no Lullaby, or Lullaby of Heroes from the second season of Yuki Yuna is a Hero. Lyrics are taken directly from the Yuki Yuna fandom wiki.
> 
> Oh! That reminds me! As for the mentioned in-story theme used for Shinsō's ringtone on Tomoko's phone, I can happily say it's from Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns. I recommend adrisaurus's English cover of Become the Wind and/or the original Japanese version of Kaze ni Naru.
> 
> Of course, a small trigger warning is in order for an implied flashback of emotional abuse and the presence of a panic attack.
> 
> Please enjoy.

_Chapter 9: The Heart of a Man_

In the time I had gotten to know Hitoshi-kun as a person, there were those little signs that reminded me that he was still a teenager and not just any other Hero-hopeful student. The eyebags were one.

The "resting bitch-face" was another. Thankfully, he never did direct it at me, but I knew when it was on his face that something had happened. Even our walk to school seemed tense too with how his hands were shoved into his pockets.

I found myself biting my lip. He was a few paces ahead of me, so if I ran forward…

_What would that do? Would he be angry?_

I shook my head and tugged on my braid. I couldn't get scared. This was _Hitoshi-kun. _A boy I was in lo—

_Lub-dub._

What?

Heat was starting to flood my cheeks, my heart was pounding, and once I looked up, Hitoshi-kun's back was still facing me, his head facing downwards. He was walking away.

_There's nothing like living in the present… right?_

I ran forward, just a little, and did my best to grab and gently tug at his nearest sleeve.

He jolted, his purple bush of a head sticking up for a second before turning around. That resting bitch-face was still on for a single second before dropping for a new, wide-eyed look. He blinked, and then, just then, I could've sworn his purple eyes had something new shining in them that I had never seen before. "What is it, Hoshino?" he said softly, his voice betraying nothing but the care and friendliness that was _Hitoshi Shinsō. _It was almost like the previous moment of negativity and dark was _gone _with that one facial expression alone. "What's gotten into you?"

Had he ever said my last name so gently before?

_Lub-dub, lub-dub._

My cheeks were definitely pink, but I sucked in a breath. "I-I'm okay." _I think, since I don't know why my heart's beating so hard in front of you. _"But wh-what about you, Hitoshi-kun? You looked like you were sulking, so…" I let his sleeve go once his stare turned confused and almost burning into my head, looking up instead to meet his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hitoshi blinked before reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "…Dunno. It's weird," he said finally.

"I don't agree with that word, Hitoshi-kun," I said immediately, reaching over to pat his shoulder. I had no clue if it was as comforting of a gesture as it could've been, but it was still _something. _"We're _all _weird with Quirks, so you can hit me with it."

Hitoshi blinked at me again before rolling his eyes, a familiar crooked smirk forming on his face. "This coming from the girl who takes everything seriously."

"It helps me assess the situation better," I deadpanned, but I knew I was getting _somewhere. _I couldn't back down now, not when he was listening. "But still. You okay?"

Hitoshi's expression morphed into something unreadable, but his eyes were still focused on me. In fact, he stared at me for a few seconds, long enough to make me feel like I had done something wrong from plain _anxiousness, _before exhaling and turning away. "I'm going to be blunt, okay?"

"Uh. Go ahead?"

Hitoshi gave me an incredulous look before covering his eyes with his other hand. He sighed, almost as if he wasn't believing what I was saying. "An old classmate of mine sent me a text yesterday." _Eh? _"It had a picture of you and me in it."

_Oh. Oh dear. This sets off so many alarm bells. _"Hitoshi-kun…"

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Instead, Hitoshi uncovered his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it beyond any kind of mess a simple comb could repair. It could've resembled a purple tree with how it became so tussled. "What really irks me about the text was what it said, and I quote," he raised his fingers to do very dry air quotations, "_What are you doing walking around with a kindergartener."_

_Uh._

Wait. Me?

I was the kindergartener?

"…Oh." I found myself saying slowly. Then, I didn't know if it was inappropriate or not, but I found myself adding a tinier note of, "Should I take that in stride for how I look younger than I actually am?"

Hitoshi shot me a long look of "_what the hell"_ before shaking his head. "Tomoko, your optimism is… sunshine-y and nice, but that's not what I'm getting at." His hand reached over to pat _my _head this time, rustling my hair. It took a moment to resist the urge to bat his hand away, instead pouring my energy into listening. Hitoshi smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "What gets to me is how this guy is one of those old jerks that called my quirk 'villainous.'"

I closed my mouth at that. Hitoshi's gaze seemed frustrated yet sad when I looked at him. What was I supposed to say to that?

What was I supposed to _do?_

"The text said a lot of things I don't want to say out loud, but it just… just… _ugh." _Without warning, Hitoshi pulled his hand away and started walking as if someone had slapped him. I could do nothing but carefully trot after him to follow. "I hate how even when I'm in the Hero Course, there's still people like _that _guy thinking I could be a villain. Thinking like that, like," he threw an arm in the air in frustration, anger seeping in his voice. "Like I could _hurt _you." He huffed angrily, his nose scrunching with the gesture. "Like you're nothing but someone I'm _corrupting _or some other shit."

_Oh._

"But we both know you would never hurt me," I said as gently as I could. "There's no way that could happen." Reaching over to pat his arm felt right this time. "I trust you, Hitoshi-kun."

Hitoshi turned his head to look at me again, and there was no missing that grateful smile. "…Thanks, Tomoko," he said, and his right hand caught my left that was still hanging on his arm. "I needed that."

I did my best to smile back. My heart was still beating, but that didn't matter right now. Friends came first. "Aye aye. And besides," I squeezed his fingers as gently as I could. "You and I both know that you're not like that. It doesn't matter what that person said. Even if the kindergartener thing is totally weird." He was grinning wryly, but it was still _progress. _"You, Hitoshi-kun, are—" I couldn't help myself. I pulled him in by our held hands and wrapped my arm around him. He jolted, my heart was _racing,_ but I couldn't find it in myself to care. There was a friend to reassure, right here. "Snuggly and shaped like a great Hero! The greatest Hero I know!"

Maybe it was cheesy. Maybe it was childish. But it was all I had.

My cheeks were positively burning and I buried my face into Hitoshi's forearm. "Th-That is," the cheese was wearing off, "if you're okay with hearing me say that. Maybe."

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub._

Why couldn't my heart stop?

Why couldn't time just stop?

Why couldn't it all just _stop?_

A breath brushed the top of my hair. It took a moment for me to realize that it was shaky and it was all _Hitoshi. _"…You're unbelievable. You're serious about this?" A hand was on my head again, fingers tangling into my hair. "D-Don't — don't say things like that so early in the morning, Hoshino. Seriously. Th-There's a limit to the sunshine you can emit on a daily basis."

His voice was cracking. _Hitoshi-kun's voice was cracking._

Something was wrong.

I wanted to raise my head, I wanted to check up on him aside from just _hugging him, _but the hand on the back of my hair was keeping me snuggled close to the point of not moving. "H-Hitoshi-kun?"

"Don't look," he said flatly, shivering. "Don't look. Just…Just hang onto me. For a minute, okay?" There was another audible crack in his voice and I could feel his fingers tremble in my hair, as minute as the sensations were. "Give me a minute, Hoshino."

He had gone back to my last name. A part of me wanted to ask why he kept going back to my last name in times like this, but this was still a moment. I couldn't break it. So, all I did was snuggle closer and nod into his school blazer. "_Mm._ Okay. Take as long as you need." The familiar three words were on my tongue, but this moment seemed emotional enough. I didn't need to add something else into the hot mess that was this morning when my heart was still racing like a heroine's found in a storybook.

Hitoshi-kun had sat down in the front rows of my heart's theater with my family and friends a long time ago. I didn't know what seat number he had, or how important his seat would be in the future, but all I did know was that I didn't want to see him leave.

I didn't want to see him break. Especially when I could support him, like this.

I waited a little bit before speaking aloud. At least, as much as I could while still buried in his school uniform. "Y'know, Hitoshi-kun," he grunted and I took that as a sign to keep going, "I wasn't kidding about you being snuggly." I hugged him a bit tighter, breathing in the scent of his uniform in the hopes of distracting my heart. "When I get to know people, hugs are a good indicator of how things go. Sometimes lankiness or tense muscles make the hug feel awkward. Other times it's too tight and I can't really say much."

The fingers in my hair paused their patting. "…Where are you going with this?"

A giggle left my lips and I pressed my nose into his shoulder. As much as my heart was beating like how Sonic would go fast, I already knew my answer. "Your hugs make me feel warm and safe. So I know you'll never be a villain. I can always be with you, Hitoshi-kun, because I know I can trust you. You're the snuggliest person I know."

Hitoshi-kun was stiffening again.

I continued, even with my face turning red. "A-And, and I know you'll be a great Hero. No matter what anyone else says. Hugs prove you're already good at the comforting-rescue part of the job."

A nose was suddenly bumping the top of my head. "_Goddammit._ I-I said…" there was an audible crack again above my hair as the fingers on my head started moving, "to give me a minute before you started spouting off more cheesy lines, didn't I?"

Oops. "Too late for that?" I said sheepishly, raising my hugging arm to offer a pointer finger of thought to the air. "Because I meant every single word, Hitoshi-kun." _I wanted to say, 'I love you too', but this is too good of a moment to add that bombshell. _"You're amazing."

Hitoshi inhaled deep enough to where I could feel his chest move from the gesture, his fingers on my head starting to stroke my hair. "You…You are absolutely _ridiculous," _he said flatly, his shoulders trembling enough for me to feel it too. "Saying all that, _honestly,_ Hoshino." A cheek bumped my head this time and… wait a second. Something was pressing into my hair. What was it? "You are a massive goofball."

Oh. _Oh._

_LUB-DUB, LUB-DUB._

I tightened the hug while slowly moving my feet, guiding him to walk. "It's how I am. It's hard to deny that, Hitoshi-kun." He thankfully wasn't protesting, so I kept my nose in his shirt while looking up, just slightly, to keep an eye on the road. "After school, we can go to a cat cafe if you want? I can pay. Just for a pick-me-up."

For the first time that morning, Hitoshi-kun stifled a laugh. "Tomoko, you don't have to do that." Finally, finally I could move out of hugging his arm and once I could look up at him for _real,_ his purple eyes seemed brighter somehow. Warmer. His eyes were a bit red from whatever moment that happened before, but he was using my first name again. "Just be you. You being here is enough."

_LUB-DUB, LUB-DUB, LUB-DUB._

Before I could react, my hand was getting grabbed and Hitoshi was in front of me all over again. When did he get in the lead? Hell, he had adjusted his school bag to be dangling behind his back like a badass somehow. _When? _"Now c'mon. We're going to be late to class if we stay here."

"A-Aye aye, sir…!"

During the entire walk up the hill to UA, all I could see was the pink of his ears through his bush of a hairdo and how he never let go of my hand.

It was moments like these that made me want to get to know Hitoshi-kun better as a person. It was times like these that made me want to know what he was thinking.

Was I really making him happy?

* * *

"HOSHINO-CHAAAAAAAN! LITTLE LISTENER! WAAAAAAAAAAIT!"

It took a lot to not flinch at the sound of Present Mic's infamous voice, but even then, I found a squeak leaving my lips as the hallways quickly cleared for the Pro Hero. It didn't even take a second for his yellow mane of a hairdo to come close to poking me once he skidded into view and I clutched my schoolbag to my chest. "M-Mic— I mean, Yamada-sensei? Um, hello! What are you doing?" left me in a flurry of squeaking, because it was not every day _Present freakin' Mic _himself called for your attention.

"Calling out to you, little listener, what else am I doing!" He wasn't even deterred by my high-pitched squeal, grinning like it was his birthday come early. "I finally found you!"

"F-For what?"

I was not expecting him to get in my face, grabbing my hands in his. Oh no. "How do you feel about joining my radio show tonight, little listener?"

It took about an extra second or so for me to realize my face was starting to heat up. "Wh-What? _Me? _Why me, Yamada-sensei?"

"_Ohmigod,_ LISTEN UP, LITTLE LISTENER! MY REASONS!" Yamada-sensei pulled back just as fast as he had grabbed my hands, pointing a finger into my face. Was he angry? "One! You are absolutely _adorable!"_

_Oh no. _"Oh gosh no, Yamada-sensei, I'm not that…!"

"Hey, hey, LISTEN TO ME! Number two!" The finger in my face increased to two. "You have a lovely singing voice!"

"Th-Thank you?"

"AAAAAAND Number three!" There were three fingers in my face now. "You could definitely reach more people than the school if you perform on the radio with your singing! Maybe even," he winked at me, what the heck— "reach a person you love?"

It took a second for me to realize my face was burning. "…Where did you hear that?" I said slowly, trying not to squeak at the last part because _holy shit, _did Yamada-sensei actually listen into my heartbeat or something?! "Because I thought I was a lot more discreet than that, Sensei."

To my surprise, the big and boisterous grin on his face softened for something that I could only call "fatherly" as he reached over to pat my head. "Hoshino-chan. You take after me like Shinsō does Eraser. Why wouldn't I know?"

The hallway seemed so much smaller and tighter once he said that. It was those last words. And there was no missing the now obvious gold _ring _dangling around Sensei's neck either.

Wait.

Aizawa-sensei had the _exact same gold band _around his neck on a string too.

The dots connected and my heart was racing.

_Aizawa-sensei is married to Yamada-sensei, and now Yamada-sensei is trying to help me out._

_He knows that I— that Shinsō might be—_

Then a memory of short black hair and leering brown eyes flashed through my thoughts.

_"Why_ wouldn't _I know what you're doing? You can't get rid of me!"_

This sounded too familiar.

_Ohmigod. Someone kill me._

My cheeks were on fire. "S-Sensei…" my voice cracked. "I-I, I-I dunno, I—" My throat was closing up, what was going on— "I—"

What was going on with me?

Where was all the oxygen?

It was a good idea, especially after what happened with Shinsō this morning, so why was I—

"Holy shit, _Hoshino." _Present Mic is back as suddenly as Yamada-sensei was there, and he's yelling something I can't make out. Something like, "NOTHING TO SEE HERE," before he was pulling on my arm and I was stumbling after him, clutching my schoolbag. "Are you okay with Midnight?" was running through one ear and out the other and I found myself blinking. When— when did I start tearing up? "We're going to see Midnight for a little bit, kid, take deep breaths for me, okay?"

"K-Kayama-sensei is okay," I somehow stuttered, but even when taking in a breath, it felt like my lungs were on fire. Why was I acting like this? What was going on with me? My legs felt like stone, but I was still _moving._ "B-But, but, sensei?"

"Yeah?"

I should've said Kei's name. Nii's too, even. But instead, all my lips could flap was a meek and weak, "C-Could I see Aizawa-sensei instead?"

* * *

Aizawa was not one to like getting called out of his class. Sure, Class A was filled with problem children, one after another, but that didn't mean he liked leaving them unsupervised.

But when his own husband came through the door, an uncharacteristic stormy expression on his face, everything had to stop.

The students staying behind for remedial classes stared at the door like it was some kind of savior.

Aizawa put down his chalk to stare too. "What is it, Mic?"

Mic shook his head and walked over, wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him into a side-hug of sorts to whisper vehemently. Aizawa probably would've shivered if not for the words Mic specifically _said._ "Hoshino's outside the classroom door and in the middle of a panic attack. She asked for you."

Aizawa jolts. The day had proceeded to devolve into a hot and burning _fuck _of a mess. "What the _fuck _did you do, Hizashi."

"Tried the radio show proposal. Then I think I said something and she started breathing too hard." Mic's expression, while lovable, read clear panic and uncertainty. "She asked for _you, _Shouta. She asked for _you."_

Aizawa shakes his head, feeling his cheekbones harden into that of his hero persona before swiftly turning to the students. Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido all stare back at him in shock, having taken the time to huddle together in some kind of teenage talk. He barks as calmly as possible, "Study hall. I'll be back. Mic'll be watching you."

"O-Oi—" But Hizashi isn't complaining since the slight bit of shame shining in his eyes is enough approval for Eraserhead.

Aizawa steps out of the classroom and nearly slams the door behind him if not for catching a glimpse of the shivering girl standing in the hallway. For everything that she stood for in his students' eyes, _squirrel _was not one of those things.

Hoshino Tomoko looked like she had seen a ghost. The blue hair ribbons framing her face barely seem organized with how they flopped forward to brush her slumping shoulders. Her knees were clanking against each other. Her head was down, but there was no mistaking her eyes. Her blue eyes were _unfocused,_ the light in them nearly gone. Her school bag looked like a teddy bear in how tightly she was clutching it to her chest, and she was inhaling and exhaling deep enough to where she sounded like she was on a _ventilator._

This was already delicate.

Aizawa was not good at delicate. Shinsō might've been, but he wasn't here.

Still, Hizashi said she asked for _him. _For _Shouta. _So he could try.

Aizawa took a careful step forward, loud enough to let Hoshino know he was there. She absently raised her head, and then some kind of spark glowed in the blue eyes. "A-Aizawa-sensei…" then there are tears. She sniffles. "I-I'm sorry, I—"

He shakes his head, walking over faster to stand in front of her, kneeling slightly to be at her height. If not for her being in General Studies, she could've been another problem child. "You're okay, Hoshino. Listen to what I'm saying, alright?" He waits for her to nod, and then Aizawa takes a breath. "Breathe in, like me."

She does that. Shaky, but breathes anyway.

Aizawa holds his breath for a moment before letting it go, and this time he gives up any pretense of a tense Hero to hold a student's shoulder. Her shoulder. "Now breathe out, like this."

She does that too.

"Keep breathing with me, alright?" Aizawa keeps his voice soft and gentle. "Slow and deep."

Hoshino does that, and with each breath, the light is coming back. With each gesture, she's starting to look more like the Fairy his class paraded around and less like the squirrel he found, color returning to her face in the usual pink blush, and once the tears are gone, she blinks. "A-Aizawa-sensei, I—"

"Hey." Aizawa squeezes her shoulder. She's flinching, but he keeps her steady. "What happened? What did Hizashi say?"

Hoshino blinks at him. She could have easily resembled a frightened cat with the shocked face she was making. "I-It wasn't Yamada-sensei," she confessed, and it was as if someone had pressed the pause button with how her breathing had stalled. "I… I want to go to his radio show, since he was nice enough to invite me, a-and it might be fun, but, but," she puts a hand to her chest, over where her heart would be, to breathe out, "I'm worried about saying something wrong."

Here was the catch.

"You don't know what will happen until it does, Hoshino," he says rationally, and Hoshino hugs her school bag tighter. "Something is hurting you more than this show."

Hoshino bites her lip. The tears are back in her eyes, one very close to tipping past the corner of her eye and falling. Her response is just as quiet as before. "I-I'm afraid of hurting _Hitoshi-kun, _Sensei."

Aizawa blinks. "Shinsō is part of the Hero Course now, Hoshino," he says mildly. "He should be able to handle a simple _radio show."_

Hoshino still fumbles with the straps of her school bag, and now she's averting her gaze from him. "B-But, I know you're raising him to be a good Hero, and, and—"

"And what?" Aizawa tries.

"AndI'mafraidofconfessingtohimifIreallydolikehimbecausehe'saHeroandhedoesn'thavetimeforlove!"

That… was a mouthful.

"I…" Hoshino could beat a cherry in how red she was turning. "Idon'tknowwhattodo."

Aizawa blinks, mulls over the recent mumbles, and reaches over to rest his palm atop Hoshino's head. "You love Shinsō."

Hoshino flushes a darker red, but nods hesitantly. Shyly.

"You're afraid," Aizawa deduces quietly, "of hurting his upcoming career and reputation if you say something wrong on Mic's show. More so since it's broadcasted _live _on every radio in Japan."

She nods again.

That left just one thing. "Why?" Aizawa says softly.

Hoshino looks away, ducking her head, and her hands _shake. _"B-Because, Sensei." She stumbles, and this time that lone tear does fall from her eyes. "I hurt someone I loved before and I don't want to do it again."

Oh.

Aizawa's heard bits and pieces of this from Shinsō. Gekkō too even, when thinking back on it. Ty was one of many UA applicants this past spring, but for far too many reasons, he failed. Aizawa made _sure_ of it before Hoshino even walked through UA's doors. But this. _This. _It was the first time Aizawa could see the shadow of a lanky boy hanging over this girl, and he hated the look on her face from it.

Even after Shinsō had gotten the boy to punch himself, Ty was still here. Hoshino wasn't truly free. Aizawa wasn't sure when she _would _be.

But there was a shackle to break, and he might as well start cracking at it before his students tried. Before Shinsō tried.

"Hoshino." Aizawa didn't know when one of his personal walls fell, but he was talking and he couldn't stop himself. The signs were all there. What mattered now was addressing them. "There's a difference between love and abuse. And the person you loved before clearly abused you."

Hoshino jolts again, this time raising her head to look into his eyes. Aizawa carefully hides a wince at the pure unadulterated _shock _shining in her blue eyes and opts to pat her head. "S-Sensei… but, but I…"

"Look, Hoshino." Aizawa brushes her hair, hoping the gesture was comforting. "Hizashi wouldn't just ask anyone to be on his show. You've shown more heart than some of the Pro Heroes I've even met." Her jaw slackens and he continues brushing her hair. It was just as soft as it looked. She could've been a small kitten. No wonder Shinsō liked her. "But remember this. Not even Heroes can take the whole world on our backs. Not even _All Might_ could do that. You shouldn't do that either. Hurting people happens all the time, whether we like it or not. But," he pats her head again, shuffling enough to expose the gold ring hanging around his neck for her to see, "if there's anything that being married to a giant cockatoo for a decade has taught me, it's that love is something that happens naturally. Love means you both work it out together."

Hoshino gasps this time, and more tears bubble in her eyes. "S-So, then," her voice breaks, "if I said anything about Hitoshi-kun—"

"There are worse ways to go about confessing," Aizawa admits with a dry smile. The memory is still funny. "Hizashi screamed it out to me in the middle of this very same hallway, _before _class."

"Wha—" For the first time that day, Hoshino lets out a giggle. "Y-Yamada-sensei did that?"

"We went to UA together, Hoshino." He lightly taps her head this time, prompting another giggle. "He was a loud ass that shared a single brain cell with someone else I knew." He thought of _Shirakumo, _for just a moment, before shrugging the memory away. He couldn't be painfully awkward _now._ "I never stopped loving him. And you shouldn't stop loving people either, unless if something really does happen."

"So," now there's hope in Hoshino's eyes and Aizawa is tempted to look away from how _bright _they look, "it's okay? To speak? To sing?"

"Hoshino." Aizawa pets her hair. If not for the age, she could've easily passed off for a much younger, white-haired girl in his care. Maybe. "Keep it simple and be yourself. You'll be fine."

_Mic wouldn't have chose you otherwise._

Hoshino blinks and then looks away with a fidget. She raises an arm to wipe at her eyes before turning back to him with a small smile. A warmer, child-like, _genuine _smile. It suited her. "Okay," she says softly. "I'll try it."

Yep. She's way too bright.

Aizawa was tempted to question Shinsō's romantic tastes, but they were still in a school hallway. So he instead holds back the temptation to roll his eyes. "Feeling better?"

"J-Just about." The hold on the school bag "teddy" has started to loosen since Aizawa spilled some of his heart out, and Hoshino giggles nervously. "I-I'm sorry for taking up your time, Sensei. Wh-When… when I get in _those _moments," she fumbles with a strap of her bag, still clutching it to herself, "I — um, I usually need someone to get me out of it. A-And, earlier, I only thought of you."

Aizawa's very tempted to question this part, but triggers and panic attacks were not something to be taken lightly. Years of being an underground hero proved how things could be _so much worse, _so Hoshino really was giving herself too much credit when she was _lucky._ No one could really claim to have the same peace she did. But, if anything, he can't help but feel the slightest bit of mentorly pride at how she chose _him _over any other teacher in UA to confide in, patting her head once more before pulling back. "It's alright. There's nothing wrong with that, Hoshino. We all have our bad days."

She blinks and looks up at him with a confused face. "W-Wait," she sounds incredulous, "even you, Sensei?"

Aizawa nods. "Even me. Heroes are still human, Hoshino."

The small smile on her face proceeds to grow and stretch her cheeks. "Ah," she said. "Aye aye. I-I guess I owe you a bag of cookies now, Sensei."

Aizawa is very tempted to flick her nose because that smile looks far more cheeky than sincere. Just like someone else he once knew. "Overworking problem child," he chides her instead, and he reaches over to flick her forehead. She squeaks and recoils, but he still adds on a soft, "Make sure not to push yourself. Mic's show plays on Friday nights at 1-5 am. You'll be up for a while."

Hoshino pouts. "I'll sleep before going over. And it's not on a school night, so I can go."

Aizawa does roll his eyes this time. "Problem child," he repeats, but it sounds more fond out of his mouth than it does an insult. "Make sure to finish whatever you're doing. And then you can say what you want to Shinsō later. Just make it quick and to the point."

Hoshino's blushing again. The pink could easily be considered a part of her normal facial expressions at this rate. "I-I'll do my best, Sensei," she says instead of acting on the pout on her face. "I'll do my best."

Aizawa scoffs under his breath and bonks her head. "You better. And probably for media's sake, don't say anything too obvious. Shinsō will know it's you no matter what."

Her blush darkens. "You…You don't mind?" Her eyes say, without her speaking the words, _You trust me?_

Aizawa rolls his eyes and bonks her head again with the back of his hand. "I wouldn't have let my husband go on and ask you to be on his show if I did."

The small and grateful smile on her lips makes Aizawa very tired but very glad he stayed back after school.

* * *

Kirishima didn't know what exactly to make of the girl his friends called the "Chocolate Fairy." Sure, she was cute and sweet, considering how she gave him homemade chocolate as a gift on Valentine's Day. "In the name of friendship!" she had said, and as a man, he couldn't exactly turn _that_ down. It may have garnered the contempt of Kaminari and Mineta for a while, but they could work that out between themselves. Sincerity was a rare thing like that.

He wasn't expecting Aizawa-sensei to be called out of the room by Yamada-sensei about _her._ Though at the time, he didn't know it was about her.

Sure, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido were all already in the classroom to catch up on some lessons, but it didn't change the sense of unease that was left behind once Yamada-sensei took over the session. He was humming to himself, absently writing "STUDY HALL" on the board for extra emphasis, but Kirishima had a bad feeling about it.

He glanced at his own worksheet. It was already three-fourths done, so if he finished this now—

Kirishima played with his pencil before getting to work.

It doesn't take long for the classroom door to slam back open, and Aizawa-sensei is walking back to where Yamada-sensei is to talk in hushed voices. Kirishima focuses on his work, but still keeps an ear open.

"—she okay?"

"Might want to be careful on your wording from now on, Mic," Aizawa's gravelly voice is still obvious even in whispering. "She remembered that bad applicant of ours from the past spring."

Present Mic appears to hold in a dramatic gasp before glancing, discreetly or not, Kirishima isn't sure, towards the squad still in the room. "Does she need friends?"

"I dunno about that, Mic—"

"HEY, LISTENERS!"

Kirishima nearly breaks his pencil in his newly hardened fist. "YES, SIR?" he yells back.

Aizawa is face-palming, but Yamada-sensei grins and points an eager finger at him. "Kirishima! Just the right person to ask! You have a friend to cheer up! She's right outside the door!"

"Wait, Mic," Aizawa's raising a hand towards Yamada-sensei, looking even more tired in spite of his protest, "he still has work—"

"I finished, Sensei, sir!" Kirishima jumps up from his seat, and sure enough, his worksheet was torn but it was _done. _"I can look out for whoever's out there! On my honor as a man!"

Aizawa pinches the bridge of his nose. "What is it with me and finding problem children?" he mutters. Kaminari and Ashido are already getting up from their seats with protesting faces, but he raises a hand and shakes his head. _"Just _Kirishima, since _he _finished the assignment," he adds dryly and quickly continues with a narrowed stare in their direction. There's no missing the hint of red in his eyes. "Just Kirishima."

Kirishima stands as tall as he can, nodding as soon as Kaminari and Ashido fall back into their seats with equally matching groans. "Break a leg, Kirishima," Kaminari says with a reassuring pat to his back, and Ashido too gives a weak smile as soon as he walks past to grab his school bag. "Text us when you get back."

"Got it!" He salutes them both, as well as the two teachers still together at the front of the room. Kirishima did his best to not flinch once red eyes turned on him and Aizawa sighed.

"Make sure not to yell into her face, Kirishima. Think of her like Eri."

"Sure, Sensei!" he said dutifully, but still felt himself getting confused until he opened the classroom door and walked outside.

The two blue hair ribbons were obvious even in the fading sunset illuminating the hallway.

Kirishima blinked. "Hoshino?"

Hoshino Tomoko raised her head and blinked back at him. In spite of the recognition in her stare, her blue eyes looked somewhat dull in comparison to all the times he had seen her hugging Shinsō and Leonhart after class. Huh? "Kiri…shima-san?" Even her high-pitched voice seemed toned down and quiet. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh," Kirishima rubs the back of his head while walking towards her with a smile, "I was actually told to come out here by Aizawa-sensei and Mic-sensei. Something about a friend to cheer up. So it's you?"

Hoshino blinks again before a light pink dusts her cheeks. "I…" She ducks her head, hugging her school bag to her chest. "Yeah. I-I'm not going to trouble you?"

"Huh? Of course not!" Kirishima laughs as genuinely as he can, finally coming close enough to extend a hand. He was initially thinking of wrapping it around her shoulders, but once Hoshino flinched away, he paused. Oh. So it was _this _kind of cheering up. Ashido could've been the better choice, but since Aizawa-sensei said it was only _him… _"Even if we're not in the same year, we're still friends of friends through Shinsō and Leonhart, Hoshino." He settles for placing a gentle hand on her head and she looks up at him. "So, if you don't mind me, let's hang out for a bit!"

Her blue eyes shine with shock. "Is…" she squeaks, "Is that okay?"

Kirishima grinned enough to show off his teeth. "I'm the one inviting you, so yeah! Let's go, Hoshino!"

In that moment, Hoshino's uncertain expression broke out into a warm and grateful smile. "Okay," she said softly. "Just let me text Nii and Kei and we'll go."

Kirishima knows in that single instant that he's never going to be forgetting her smile. It's a smile that makes him glad he decided to be a Hero.

* * *

Before today, Kirishima Eijirou was someone I could call an acquaintance. From mentions of him passed on through Ochako-chan and Hitoshi-kun to seeing his performance in the Sports Festival in the finals against Kei, he was definitely someone who stood out.

I wasn't expecting him to be a companion of all things post-trigger.

"So, Hoshino, you up for eating anything?" Kirishima-san had a wallet in his hands out of nowhere, tossing it up and down in his hand while grinning shark-like teeth. "I can pay!"

"Um," my voice cracked, "you don't have to, Kirishima-san! I-I'm just," I couldn't help myself from walking closer to bump his shoulder with mine, "I'm glad to have some company right now is all."

"Huh." Kirishima lowered his wallet, but it did not stop his smile in the slightest as he inclined his head down towards me. "Then what do you want to do?"

"Before I answer that," I nudged him again, smiling politely, "are you sure you're not busy? Because if you need to handle anything personal, you should go do that first, Kirishima-san."

Kirishima blinked at me before his red eyes _shined. _"I'm fine, Hoshino, but thanks for the consideration! That's really cool of you!" He reached over to pat my head again. Uhhhh. What was this treatment, exactly? "But hey. I wanted to come out here to check up on you, and after our Senseis gave that kind of order, I can't leave ya now!"

The warm smile on his face could've easily made all the darkness in the world go away. At least, that's how it felt, looking at him.

I found myself smiling back, less out of politeness and more out of just sheer _relief. _"You're going to be an amazing Hero smiling like that, Kirishima-san."

And just like that, the moment was broken as he took a step back, his red eyes wide. "W-Wait, really?" Kirishima laughed, rustling the back of his spiky red hair before striding forward to stand at my side again. "_Ahahaha, _thanks! I can definitely see how Shinsō took a liking to you now, Hoshino!"

Oh gosh. I felt my smile drop for a blush. "W-Wait, really?"

Kirishima blinked but nodded knowingly anyways. "Definitely! You should see how he looks at you, Hoshino! Whenever you leave, he always has this nice big smile on his face!" Kirishima extended his hands to his own cheeks, pulling at them to mimic the smile in question and I blinked. "Believe me when I say he really, _really _trusts you!"

"O-Oh," I said inadequately, feeling my heart jump. "I-I'm glad about that? I think!"

Kirishima's smile dropped for a confused face. "You think?"

"Um." Then my phone rang.

"Whoa!" said Kirishima.

The piano chords of the theme from _The Cat Returns _was an obvious tell as to who was calling, and I did my best to not fumble with the device. "G-Give me a second, Kirishima-san." Sliding my finger across the touchscreen started the call almost immediately, so I put the phone to my ear. "H-Hello?"

_"Tomoko?" _My heart skipped a beat. I already knew from the specialized ringtone that it was Hitoshi-kun, but hearing _his_ voice through the phone's speakers didn't help the blush coming onto my cheeks. _"Where are you? I'm about to start training with Aizawa-sensei and I didn't see you."_

"I-I'm sorry, Hitoshi-kun, some things kinda happened…" I cupped my free hand around my mouth to speak into the phone, the heat on my face quickly transforming from embarrassment to shame. "I'm with Kirishima-san right now."

_"Kirishima?" _Hitoshi-kun seemed quieter at that. _"Did something happen that made him come with you?"_

_Oh. _He was worried. I glanced at Kirishima and he sent me a thumbs-up. Of course. With a smile of my own, I turned back to the phone and spoke gently. "A little while ago, actually. Yamada-sensei accidentally said some things that reminded me of…" I found myself trailing off. I couldn't say _his _name while Kirishima was here. "Well, _that_ guy. Aizawa-sensei found Kirishima-san and we're hanging out together to help calm those bad feelings down."

Thankfully, Hitoshi-kun caught on almost immediately with what sounded like a deep breath over the speaker. _"Oh. _Him. _The guy I got to punch himself a few days ago._ _And that's why you're not here now and going out with Kirishima?"_

"Yep. I'm okay, Hitoshi-kun, really. It's just a friendly hangout before dinner." I didn't know when I started cradling my phone, but I was still talking to one of the greatest guys I could ever know and the least I could do was reassure him. "We can still talk tonight if you want to."

_"Maybe." _There was some rustling over the phone as he paused. _"Just tell Kirishima a 'hi' for me and be safe."_

"Aye aye, Hitoshi-kun. I'll do that. And, um."

_"Yeah?"_

"T-Tonight, Hitoshi-kun…"

_"Hey. Just spit it out, Hoshino."_

"A-Are you going to be up at 4-5 am tonight?"

Kirishima-san was giving me an incredulous look just as Hitoshi-kun bit out a smaller, _"What." _There was a pause that followed over the phone. _"Why that specific time, Tomoko? Even if I'm an insomniac, I still have to _sleep _like everyone else. I don't have my dad's quirk of never sleeping."_

"J-Just turn on Yamada-sensei's radio station tonight for me, please?" I begged him. "Only if you can. Th-There's something that I think you need to hear at that time."

_"…"_ There was no mistaking the long and tired sigh over the phone's speakers. "_You're serious?"_

"Y-Yeah," I confessed softly. "I-I am." _I'm hoping to sing and confess to you, and this is the best way I can do it. _I wanted to say. _So please. Please. Just this once._

Another pause. _"…Hm. I'll set an alarm for that time to listen in if you're getting that anxious about it."_

My heart beat hard against my ribcage. "H-How could you tell?"

_"Even through the phone, your voice is squeaky, Hoshino." _I could hear his smirking through the phone too. Dork._ "You underestimate how open you are."_

I sucked in a breath. I didn't even realize the sound was leaving my lips until it was echoing in the air and Kirishima-san nearby was covering his mouth while looking at me. _"Muuuuu…" _I tried not to pout. "Hitoshi-kun!"

Kirishima snickered into his hands. _Dorks, _everybody.

In the phone, I could hear Hitoshi-kun's laughter. The dork of my heart. Goddammit. _"Haha, don't pout like that. It's the truth. But I'll turn on the radio tonight, Tomoko, I'll make sure of it."_

I pursued my lips. "…Promise?"

_"Promise."_

A fond smile was playing with my lips before I knew it and I lowered my free hand. "Okay then. I'll trust you on that. And Hitoshi-kun?"

_"Yeah?"_

"Be safe training today. And don't hurt yourself."

The smirk was obvious even through a speaker and the tuning of the phone. _"I should be saying the same to you, Hoshino. But I got it."_

"Aye," I said dutifully. My heart was still beating, and out of some kind of feeling, I spoke up again. "And Hitoshi-kun, um, one last thing before you go?"

_"I'd tell you to be quick, but you already know." _A fond scoff echoed through the line. "_What is it?"_

A lump surfaced in my throat. The three words normally would've been fine for any other person, but this was _Hitoshi Shinsō. _A boy that had stolen my heart a long time ago, and even though I had no clue on how he felt, I found myself whispering the phrase anyways. "…I love you."

I had no clue if I had lost all my marbles, but I knew it was out there. Before Mic-sensei's radio show, at least. Why did I say it? For a practice run? Out of instincts? I just didn't know anymore.

But I said it. I _actually _said it.

Oh no.

Kirishima wordlessly gaped to the point of his hands dropping to his sides. The following silence over the phone merely confirmed my anxiety and I sucked in a breath. "H-Hitoshi-kun?"

_"…Hoshino, what did you just say?"_

"I-I wish you didn't ask that since, um." I gulped. "I-I don't think I can say it again."

_"Could you try, Hoshino?" _He sounded desperate this time. _"Please?"_

"H-Hitoshi…" I glanced at Kirishima and he was now grinning, making gestures with his hands in so many different ways to where I had _no _clue what he was saying. I took a breath and focused on the phone. "I-I… I…"

_"Yeah?"_

It was almost like I could choke. "Love…you…"

There was no precursor to the slapping noise on the other side of the phone. I jumped, Kirishima blinked, and Hitoshi-kun breathed. Did he hit himself or something? _"Sorry," _he said immediately, _"was checking what just happened and if it was real." _So he _did _hit himself. Wouldn't that make brain cells run out faster…? But he was still talking. _"You…You really feel that way?"_

I nodded before I realized we were talking on the phone and he couldn't see it. "Y-You're going to have to listen in to Mic-sensei's radio station tonight to find out the rest."

A soft, fond, and relieved laugh broke through the static on the line. _"Of course you would pull a stunt like that. _Really, _Hoshino." _But he was laughing and I could feel all the anxiousness in my shoulders nearly melt away. _"Thank you."_

"Aye." There was nothing I could say to follow up to his words _but _that. "G-Good luck with your training."

_"Got it."_

"Sh-Should…Should I say it again?"

_"N-No," _he managed gently, and there was a shaky exhale over the line. _"I-I'll call you tomorrow morning."_

"Okay." Feeling extremely awkward, I rectified it with a quieter, "Do your best."

_"Y-Yeah." _He then ended the call before I could even hit the red "End Call" button.

Once I shakily slipped my phone back into my school bag, my face was burning and Kirishima-san was smiling at me. "So," he started casually, "you and Shinsō, huh, Hoshino?"

"I-I'd ask you to forget all that was just said in the past few minutes, but th-that's irrational and impossible right now," I admitted, raising a hand in the air in surrender to him. "Um, well, Hitoshi-kun says 'hi'?"

Kirishima's grin widened to expose more of his shark-like teeth. "Thanks for the message," he chirped, "but I think a congratulations is more along the lines in order for you, Hoshino. So congrats on confessing! You are so manly in saying all that!"

"Uh." I said intelligently. "Thank you? I meant to say it on a different occasion…"

He paused too, although for _completely _different reasons. "Wait, _shit, _I meant, er, you were just really cool with that honesty, I didn't mean to be sexist!" He was waving his hand around frantically, blushing a bit himself. "You're great too, Hoshino, and now I know why everyone calls you 'Fairy'!"

A surprised laugh left my lips. _Ohmigosh,_ why hadn't I befriended this dork sooner? He reminded me of someone I cared about a long time ago. "Thankie, Kirishima-san. I'm happy to hear that. And don't worry, I understood what you said, so you're not being sexist."

Kirishima let out a relieved sigh before his edges of his red eyes crinkled in clear mirth towards me. "So," he continued in a softer voice, "I guess I should take you out like you said over the phone, huh?"

"If you don't mind, Kirishima-san." Another laugh bubbled up in my throat, and even with some of the tension from before starting to set into my spine, the way Kirishima had just went along with it made me feel relieved. He wasn't asking questions and for once, I felt glad that he wasn't probing. "Just, um, are you okay with a karaoke place?"

Kirishima blinked. "Sure, I don't _mind,_ but I'm not exactly the best at singing, Hoshino. Jiro outdoes me." Without even having to look into his eyes, I could already tell a nervous laugh was on the tip of his tongue.

And sure, the heat was coming back to my cheeks, but I shrugged anyways, reaching over to tug at his nearest shirt sleeve. "About that — I was hoping if you could come and hear out a song of _mine,_ Kirishima-san. Since you're here with me." I tugged at his sleeve a bit more, trying not to look away while smiling shyly. "As thanks for keeping me company?"

The excited sparkles lighting up his red eyes was more than enough unspoken permission.

* * *

The pub Kirishima-san had chosen was a small one in Mustafu, near a cat cafe too, but nice and quaint enough to give customers privacy. And what did you know, the machines did have the song I was hoping to practice in their archives. At least, according to their song books.

"So, Hoshino," Kirishima-san sipped his water from his place lounging on the couch. "What song are you thinking of?"

"Remember when I mentioned Mic-sensei's radio show?" I gently tugged the nearest microphone off one of the stands while sitting down next to him. The buttons for selecting a song were already on the handle, so I raised the small remote towards the screen, scrolling through the names. _This Game, ReaSon, Aurora Days… _"I forgot to say I kinda…well, I got invited to be a guest tonight?"

Kirishima immediately sat up from his lounging, giving me an incredulous grin. "Seriously?! Present Mic's radio show is _famous! _That's really cool, Hoshino! And, wait," realization dawned to his eyes and his grin turned almost… shy with the look. "You're practicing in front of me?!"

"You kept me company even when you didn't have to, Kirishima-san," I said mildly, smiling while reaching over to pat his shoulder. "Not to mention how your presence reminds me that I want to go on the show. And hey." The cheese was on, but it was just us and that was fine. I could be as cheesy as possible. "Your company is one I'm finding myself liking. So, I guess, I wanted to share what you might hear tonight as a sign of our new friendship?"

The red eyes staring at me widened in surprise before softening. "Hoshino…"

Uh. What was with that look? "I-If you don't want me to, we can go somewhere else though—"

"It's fine!" Kirishima was standing up to clench his hands into fists and I jumped. "It's really manly of you to think about me like that! So go ahead and sing, Hoshino! I'll be happy to listen to the preview!"

I was very tempted to tackle him into a hug right then and there. But that wouldn't do when we had only gotten to know each other in the span of a few hours, so I selected the song with one press of a button and raised the mic to my lips. It was the short version, but I knew it would convey how I felt right now.

_Thank you._

The entire time the lyrics left my lips in a familiar melody, Kirishima never stopped smiling.

"That was amazing, Hoshino, your singing. It'll work," he said softly once the music had faded, warmth in his red eyes. "I'll turn on the radio tonight too. Just for the extra support."

"Y-You don't have to do that—"

"I want to." Kirishima grinned. "It wouldn't be manly if I opted out of helping a friend feel more comfortable. And besides." He leaned forward to rest his cheeks in his palms, raising an amused eyebrow at me. "I know Shinsō will love it. And this is my side of being a bro talking."

The familiar heat of embarrassment covered my cheeks. "Oh." I said dully. "Y-You know, Kirishima-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I'm very tempted to hide away in a corner and/or tackle you in a hug and not let go for a little while."

Kirishima blinked before chuckling. "Hiding's not exactly manly, Hoshino, but hugs are just fine!" I was not expecting him to open his arms towards me. "I can provide some if you need them!"

The microphone felt hot in my hands. "K-Kirishima-san, you are a _dork."_

He laughed, still offering with those outstretched hands. "What can I say? It comes with the Hero job!" He paused before adding, "I'll take that 'dork' as a compliment!"

It took all I had to not drop the mic and instead run over. "You _dooooooork!"_

He didn't even hesitate to catch me. Maybe it was his Hero training or his Hardening Quirk that let him do so, but I wasn't sure. Still. Kirishima laughed the entire time we swung around mid-platonic embrace. With the muscles and the warm school blazer, it all made for a very nice, soft, and snuggly hug. I wasn't expecting _soft _when this was _Red Riot, _the Sturdy Hero who made a name for himself fighting the Yakuza last year. But heck. The hug made me feel like we were being _kids._

It was like I was back someplace else, remembering a crescent moon-shaped scar on a boy's chin and the laughter that came with the first carry-hug.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to know you sooner," I whispered into his shoulder. "You're really snuggly, Kirishima-san."

_You're so nice, how did I come across you— why did I not meet up with you earlier—_

"Hey," a calloused hand patted my back. "It's okay. We have plenty of time to catch up now, as buddies. So, how about I sing this time?"

It wasn't a bad feeling. The last time I felt like this, it was with Kei, with Hika-chan, with Shinsō, with _Ty _before things went bad.

I should've befriended Kirishima Eijirou so much sooner.

* * *

Present Mic held his breath once two familiar blue hair ribbons peeked past the doorway, putting on a warm smile as he opened his mouth. "Little listener, you're doing fine. You don't have to hide over there."

"Y-You sure?" Blue eyes creeped around the doorway next, looking at him almost pitifully as they darted between him and the headphones sitting on the desk next to him. "B-Because, sensei, this is the first time I've performed outside of the cafe at home, and _everyone _will be hearing me, I—" Hoshino finally took a step out from the door's shadow, looking meek and small and _so cute. _"I'm a bit nervous."

Mic smiled. "Everyone is on their first time," he said with a loud laugh, motioning with his hand in the hopes of letting her walk closer. "Just keep up with the banter and you'll be okay, Hoshino-chan."

Hoshino blushed that adorable pink and she nodded, finally — ohmigod, was she _tiptoeing_ — over to pull out the nearest chair and sit next to him. "Okay," she squeaked gently, and there was no missing her clasping her star necklace. "Okay."

_"Awwww," _Nemuri cooed from across the table, hearts flying off of her in waves. "I can see the youth right here."

"M-Midnight-sensei…!" Hoshino covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. "P-Please don't say that, it's making my heart worse!"

Nemuri wasn't even fazed, shooting a happy grin towards Yamada as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's the mere truth, little listener," she paradied, smiling like it was her birthday come early. "Don't worry, everyone will love you."

"And don't kill my little co-host from embarrassment before the show even _starts, _Nemuri," Yamada adds a bit flatly, slinging a gentle arm around Hoshino's shoulders in the hopes that she wouldn't start _shaking. _"I'd like to _keep _her singing talent around, thank you very little."

Nemuri rolled her eyes and lounged back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Poo."

"E-Eh?" Hoshino's looking up now, and she's glancing between the two Pro Heroes with a fading red on her face. "W-Wait, _really?_ This won't be a one-time thing?"

"If you don't mind!" Both heroes chirp.

Hoshino started wearing an uncertain smile as she scratched her cheek. "Um, thank you?" was the squeak. "And um, Senseis? The show's going to start soon…?"

"YEAAAAH! Show time!"

"As much as your enthusiasm is great, Mic, seriously, indoor voice."

Everyone proceeded to put on their headphones.

* * *

**Put Your Hands Up Radio!**

**Fridays 1-5 am!**

**Commencing Guest Hour!**

**PRESENT MIC: **YEAAAAAAAAAAH!

**MIDNIGHT: **YAY!

**GUEST: **Um. Y-Yeah? I think.

_There proceeds to be a lot of snickering._

**MIDNIGHT: **Ohmigosh, sweetie, calm down. You're okay. Deep breaths now.

**GUEST: **I-I'm trying, Sensei! It's the first time I've been on _any _radio plus hearing my voice in stereo! It's… squeaky. And a lot more high-pitched than what I'm used to. Do I always sound like this to people?

_Present Mic starts laughing, and the volume is pitched down almost immediately, probably from how loud it is._

**GUEST:** E-Eh? What did I say?

**PRESENT MIC: **Don't worry about it, little co-host. ANYWAYS! Everyone! Welcome to the Guest Hour of Put Your Hands Up Radio! Today, we're accompanied by the R-Rated Pro Hero, Midnight—

**MIDNIGHT: **Hello, lovelies!

**PRESENT MIC: **And a very special student of mine from UA that I scouted for today! Say hello to LILY!

**LILY: **H-Hello, everyone. Um. Wait a second. When did we decide on Lily?

**PRESENT MIC: **Just now.

**MIDNIGHT: **It fits! So cute! I love it!

**LILY: **Sensei…!

**PRESENT MIC: **Pouting with pink cheeks is cute, Lily, but it fits and you cannot convince me otherwise.

**LILY: **I-I wasn't going to try, I'm just embarrassed is all… you guessed my favorite flower…

**MIDNIGHT: ** _Awwwww._

**PRESENT MIC: **Though honestly? Eraserhead helped me figure it out.

**MIDNIGHT: **HAH! CALLED IT!

**LILY: **C-Could we go on with the show now? Please? My heart will give out at this rate.

**PRESENT MIC: **Whoops. ANYWAYS! Let me get into the story of how Lily got here!

**MIDNIGHT: **_Oooooh,_ I haven't heard this one.

**LILY: **Oh no—

**PRESENT MIC: **FOR YOU SEE! It was a few weeks ago! I just came out of my lunch break when I heard a very pretty singing voice in the hallway! And guess who it was~?!

**MIDNIGHT:** Lily?

**PRESENT MIC: **LILY! Playing piano _and_ singing like a pro in one of UA's music rooms!

**LILY: **T-To be fair, I was practicing for a friend and wasn't intending to let anyone overhear—

**MIDNIGHT: **But you're here anyways! You accepted the offer to come in!

**LILY: **W-Well, yes. I can't deny that. And I'm very glad that I am here, as embarrassing as it is to hear you both yell?

**PRESENT MIC: **I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part. But we're glad we have _you, _Lily!

**MIDNIGHT: **Very true. But I heard that there's another reason why you decided to accept Mic's invitation, Lily. Could you explain that a bit?

**LILY: **I'm not sure if I like the look on your face, Midnight-sensei.

**MIDNIGHT: **Don't worry about it and call it a bit of curiosity!

_There's some rustling over the static._

**LILY: **I mean, Ai — I mean, _Eraserhead_-sensei — was definitely one reason why, since he helped convince me, but there's… er.

**MIDNIGHT: **Don't tell me. It's for a special someone~?

_There's a loud "MEEP" noise this time, as if someone squeaked._

**LILY: **W-Was it that obvious?

**MIDNIGHT: **Your face says everything, Lily~!

**PRESENT MIC: **YEAAAAAAAH!

**LILY: **…Has anyone told you two that you act like parents?

**PRESENT MIC: **_HAH! _That comes with the teaching job, Lily!

**MIDNIGHT: **_Hehe,_ I can't deny that. Mic's already got the father part down with Eraserhead.

**PRESENT MIC: **Oi!

**MIDNIGHT: **I think I prefer "aunt" over mother, though, considering I'm still single. Anywho! You haven't answered my question!

**LILY: **…Do I have to?

**PRESENT MIC AND MIDNIGHT: **YES.

_A sigh echoes into the microphone._

**LILY: **I can't win with this. But okay. I'll talk.

_This time, everyone hears Lily take a deep breath._

**LILY:** When Mic-sensei caught me singing that one time, I was actually practicing a song I was planning to give to… well, my friend-turned-_crush_ at one point. I was thinking their birthday, even though it's pretty early right now to think about it since they just turned 17 a few months ago.

**MIDNIGHT: **_Ooooooh! _Is it a boy? A girl? A nonbinary person?

**LILY: **I-It's a boy, Midnight-sensei, and please don't lean in like that and just let me speak?

**MIDNIGHT: **I can't help it, I can feel the youth coming off of you, Lily! It's so beautiful to the point where I'm getting goosebumps!

**PRESENT MIC: **Don't embarrass her _too _much, Midnight! We can't have her collapse _now!_

**LILY: **I'm not going to collapse! A-Anyway! Mic-sensei was the one who gave me the idea to join the show tonight in the hopes of trying to reach out to him. My crush, I mean, since I don't have _any _confidence in saying this to his face.

**MIDNIGHT: **Oh.

**PRESENT MIC: **…There's nothing wrong with being shy, Lily. Love can be hard, and I speak from experience!

**MIDNIGHT: **Mic's married by the way, everyone. Still, does he know that you're performing today, Lily?

**LILY: **I-I actually asked him to listen in tonight, just not of the whole…confession deal. I…accidentally said it over the phone to him earlier today too, and I _wasn't _planning that part.

**MIDNIGHT: **_Ohmigosh, _so cute! What did he say?!

**LILY: **Um. No comment. That's personal, sensei, no offense intended.

**MIDNIGHT: **Boo.

**PRESENT MIC: **Hey hey, Midnight, give her some space. She came here even after a long school day. Anyways, Lily.

**LILY: **…Mm?

**PRESENT MIC: **What's your crush like?

**LILY: **In what way are you asking…?

**PRESENT MIC: **Like personally! What kind of person is your crush?!

**LILY: **You already met him through class, _why_ are you asking me this?!

**PRESENT MIC: **It's for all the listeners over on the other side of the radio station! You forget we're broadcasting on a public station, Lily!

**LILY: **Oh no. That means he heard all this. Oh _no._

**MIDNIGHT: **At least that means you're getting comfortable?

**LILY: **O-Okay, fair. But um. I guess, to answer the question Mic-sensei just posed about my crush…

**MIDNIGHT: **Yeah, yeah?

**LILY: **He's a person that helped me believe in heroes again.

_Something drops in the background._

**PRESENT MIC: **Ho— Lily?

**LILY: **N-No offense to you and Midnight-sensei by the way, Mic-sensei! I just… I had an old friend, before my crush, who I loved. He wanted to be a Hero in his own way, but the problem was how he kept going forward in his goal without looking back at the people around him. He hated the world and wanted it to change, even if it meant… if it meant brushing loved ones aside like they were nothing.

**MIDNIGHT: **_Oh…_ Lily, you don't have to finish.

**LILY: **N-No, no, it's okay. That ex-friend is long gone now. My crush helped me move past him. But that friend left a bad mark on my heart to the point of me _still _loving him after all those years, as irrational as it is. It hurts, thinking on it, since it took a long time for me to admit that _he _hurt me and not the other way around, and _he _wanted to be a Hero. After all, how could he want to help people when he didn't notice me cry? How could he save people when he constantly yelled at me, saying I didn't understand and that I needed to give up _everything_ about me to be _worthy _in his eyes? I couldn't handle a Hero like that. But my crush was different.

**PRESENT MIC: **_Ahhhh,_ I see. He let you be you?

**LILY: **Yep. And my crush is definitely ambitious. He's at UA with me, wanting to be a Hero like everyone else in the Hero Course, but there was something about him that made me want to believe. He kept trying to _be_ a Hero in spite of everyone else putting him down in the past, and, well, after everything I went through, I couldn't help but fall in love with that. What solidified it was… well, out of worry or _something,_ he got my ex-friend to punch himself.

**PRESENT MIC: **WHOA!

**MIDNIGHT: **I would do the same, by the way.

**LILY: **M-Midnight-sensei…

**MIDNIGHT: **What? It's the truth.

**PRESENT MIC: **ANYWAY, BEFORE ANY THREATS ARE THROWN OUT—

**LILY: **Because Eraserhead-sensei would probably be glaring at all of us on Monday, so yes?

**PRESENT MIC: **LILY! YOU HAVE A SONG TO SING, DON'T YOU?

**LILY: **I-I thought I was going to go at the end!

**PRESENT MIC: **NOPE! IT'S ALMOST BREAK TIME ON GUEST HOUR, AND THE SPACE IS ALREADY SET UP! GO WOO YOUR CRUSH!

**LILY: **I-I _really _wish you didn't use "woo" to describe it.

**MIDNIGHT: **"Seduce," then?

**LILY: **That isn't much better!

**MIDNIGHT: **_Hahaha,_ then what would you suggest?

_Lily inhales a deep breath before exhaling slowly._

**LILY: **Just calling it a…confession of good will, I guess. To my crush, to all my friends, to the many Hero-hopefuls I've met and the Heroes that are with me right now.

**MIDNIGHT: **Oh. Oh my.

**PRESENT MIC: **Lily…!

**LILY: **_Hehehe,_ everyone knows who they are. And to my crush, I hope you hear this. Please don't laugh, I'm doing my best. I know I'm clumsy, I accidentally said the three words over the phone way before this entire show started, not to mention having a small panic attack—

**PRESENT MIC: **Hey, Lily—

**LILY: **But you are a precious person to me. I appreciate you so much. You make my life better just by being there. So, I hope you listen closely. This is for you.

**PRESENT MIC: **Ah. This confirms it.

**LILY: **Eh?

**PRESENT MIC: **This is why I'm glad I scouted you at school, Lily! He's _definitely_ going to be listening in now!

**LILY: **I-I hope so, Mic-sensei.

**MIDNIGHT: **_Awwww. _I guess it's time to cue the music?

**LILY: **Y-Yep. To everyone else on the radio, I hope you don't mind it.

**PRESENT MIC: **OI, YOU STOLE MY LINE, MIDNIGHT!

**MIDNIGHT: **HAH! TOO LATE FOR THAT.

**LILY: **That was a delayed reaction. A-Anyways! I call this _The Lullaby of Heroes._ Or, well. _Yuusha-tachi no Lullaby._

* * *

Once the first notes of the orchestra echoed through my headphones, I took a breath.

I still didn't know if I could truly trust Heroes. After all, there were still problems in the world, Heroes being there to solve them or not. But there were people like my Jack-niisan, doing his best in spite of his bad luck. Kei, going along with General Studies while still looking out for me and everyone else with combat training. Hika-chan in just being there and smiling. Aizawa-sensei, Yamada-sensei, and Kayama-sensei all showing how being a Hero professionally wasn't all that bad. Kirishima-san simply proving villains wrong in underestimating him with his Hardening Quirk. And Hitoshi-kun. The teenager who fought in the Sports Festival last year, accepted my chocolate this year, and punched Ty too.

_Hitoshi-kun, I hope you're listening. I love you._

Maybe I could say it later. And _in person _this time. Maybe. For now, I closed my eyes, nodded my head once, and opened my mouth.

_"Oh noble Heroes, a moment of peace has come._

_(Tootoki yuusha tachi, hitotoki no heiwa ga kita.)_

_A time when everything falls into slumber._

_(Nanimo kamo subete ga nemuri ni tsuku toki.)_

_To all who fought, to all who held back their tears,_

_(Tatakatta hito, namida koraeta hito,)_

_You will be taken by a hazy dream._

_(Oboroge na yume ga mukae ni kuru deshou.)_

_To all who had courage, to all who spilled tears,_

_(Yuukan na hito, namida koboshita hito,)_

_Rest for today,_

_(Kyou wa oyasuminasai,)_

_And once you fall sound asleep, the night will come to embrace you._

_(Neiki o tatetara yoru ga tsutsumikomu.)"_

It was a song choice inspired by Ochako-chan. She had said, once, after a joint training between Classes A and B: "Heroes are the ones who save people. But who saves the Heroes?"

It was a question I asked myself too.

After all, I tried to save Ty. But he rejected me.

That didn't turn out with the happiest ending, but with me and Hitoshi-kun now… how would it go?

But at this time, in the early morning, I couldn't think about that. Instead, I could at least sing something to encourage rest. To encourage self-care.

No one can sacrifice everything as a Hero. Not even All Might could, and he was the former Symbol of Peace.

So maybe, maybe, the song could remind everyone that they should respect each other more. That Heroes deserved more than what the media blew up about them.

Villains were always going to exist in some way or form. Shigaraki Tomura and the League of Villains were proof of that. But that didn't mean letting them fool around forever. And it didn't mean exhausting all the Heroes we had when they kept sacrificing themselves for the greater good every _single day._

Heroes were human too.

_"Scars left by sorrow and grief shine through your eyelashes_

_(Matsuge ni hikaru no wa setsunasa to urei no ato)_

_As the wind that the trees sway in caresses your hair._

_(Kusaki o yurasu kaze kami o nadete iku.)_

_To all who are full of love, to all who are kindhearted,_

_(Ai fukaki hito, kokoro yasashiki hito,)_

_Your strength will change the world._

_(Anata no tsuyosa ni sekai wa kotaeru.)_

_To all who were hurt, to all who bore scars,_

_(Kizutsuita hito, kizu o kakaeta hito)_

_Sleep for now,_

_(Ima wa onemurinasai,)_

_You lie in the shadow of today and tomorrow._

_(Anata ga iru no wa kyou to asu no kage.)"_

I wasn't exactly Hoshino Tomoko over the radio anymore. I was now Lily, and I had a job to do.

It was 4-5 am in the morning, everyone was probably tired and/or just waking up, and it was time to send a message the Heroes needed more often.

_"To you who had courage, to you who spilled tears,_

_(Yuukan na hito, namida koboshita hito,)_

_Rest for today,_

_(Kyou wa oyasuminasai,)_

_And once you fall sound asleep, the night will, ah._

_(Neiki o tatetara yoru ga, ah.)_

_To all who fought, to all who held back their tears,_

_(Tatakatta hito, namida koraeta hito)_

_You will be taken by a hazy dream._

_(Oboroge na yume ga mukae ni kuru deshou.)_

_To all who had courage, to all who spilled tears,_

_(Yuukan na hito, namida koboshita hito,)_

_Rest for today._

_(Kyou wa oyasuminasai.)_

_And once you fall sound asleep, the night will come to embrace you,_

_(Neiki o tatetara yoru ga tsutsumikomu,)_

_Until night makes way for dawn in the sky you protected._

_(Anata ga mamotta sora no yoru ga akeru made.)"_

Once the song had ended and I opened my eyes, Midnight-sensei and Mic-sensei were giving me the biggest smiles I had ever seen on their faces. And, for once, I could feel myself smile back at them without a hint of hesitation.

"Do you… do you think that worked?" I said through the mic. "Was the song good?"

"Lily," Mic-sensei said finally after a moment, reaching over to grasp one of my hands, "That more than worked. It was amazing and you are an _angel."_

* * *

It took the tune of _Kaze ni Naru_ ringing through my ears to wipe out any idea of sleep. And naps are precious, so sue me. Irritation initially took over my thoughts first, because (1) it's the weekend and (2) it wasn't even noon. Who was calling?

I rubbed my eyes to get any dust out before pulling at my nightstand to grab the troublesome smartphone in question, swiping at the screen before thinking anything.

"Hello—?"

_"Hoshino?"_

My heart skipped a beat and now sleep was the _last thing _on my mind. "H-Hi, Hitoshi-kun."

_"Hey." _His voice sounded strangely happy through the speakers in spite of the time of day, and I blinked. _"Are you free right now?"_

"I mean—" I did my best to hold back a yawn. "I just woke up from a nap in my dorm room, wh-why?"

_"You told me to listen in earlier this morning and then when I call you, I just woke you up?" _Hitoshi-kun sounded caught between being annoyed and laughing, so I put a pause on any immediate reaction to keep my ears open. _"Dork."_

Huh. It sounded like the usual Hitoshi-kun. What was going on? "I—" The yawn finally came out and I did my best to cover it up. "I can't deny that. Still, um," my cheeks were starting to flood with heat now as the memories of a few hours ago finally caught up in my brain, "what's up?"

_"Again, just wondering if you were free. After hearing everything _Lily _had to say last night on Put Your Hands Up Radio, I wanted to meet up with you to confirm something."_

Oh. Oh my. I gulped. "D-Did you guess who her crush was?"

_"I'm talking to the one and only Lily herself right now, aren't I?"_

Oh dear. I did my best to inhale and exhale deeply. "I-It was that obvious?"

_"Yep." _There was a scoff over the line. I couldn't tell if it was fond or just unsure. _"I just can't believe you said all that cheesy stuff over _live _radio."_

"I-It kinda just happened. S-So," my heart was in my throat, oh _no, _"what am I supposed to take this as? Because I'm scared as all heck and I dunno what to make of it."

_"…Dammit, I have to say it straight, huh?" _Hitoshi-kun sighed over the line. _"Just get out of bed and meet me in front of the 1-C dorms. I was thinking of taking you to a cat cafe."_

"E-Eh?"

I could _hear_ the eye-roll through his voice. _"Don't question it and just let me take you out on a date, Hoshino."_

_LUB-DUB, LUB-DUB, LUB-DUB._

I pinched my cheek, winced, then refocused on the phone. "R-Really?" I squeaked. "You're not…rejecting me?"

_"What part of _'date' _do I have to explain?"_

"N-None whatsoever!" I said hastily, pushing back my blankets to throw open my nearest closest with my free hand. This was it. I somehow, actually, _did _it. It felt like I could ask Ochako-chan to levitate me to the moon and my heart, even in zero gravity and the vacuum that is space, could _never_ stop beating so hard. "I-I'll meet you in 15!"

_"Good." _This time, I could hear Hitoshi-kun's smile. _"And Hoshino?"_

"Yes?"

_"Thank you."_

I cradled my phone between my ear and shoulder to free my other hand, searching for a suitable skirt. "For what?"

_"For saying all that you did. You really made my morning by being Lily. Just let me reply to you over the phone this time since you chose to say it by _radio _earlier." _There was a pause. I could hear a deep breath over the line, and then I got a reply I never knew I wanted. _"I love you too."_

My vision blurred and the only indication I got to it was a small sting to the corners of my eyes. "H-Hitoshi-kuuuuuuuun, thank you so much, but please don't make cry _before _I see you! And I _want _to see you!"

_"Whoops." _It definitely did not sound genuine as a shaky laugh echoed over the speakers._ "I'll be outside to try purging all the cheese you infected me with, then."_

"Dork." I finally found a white and pink-ruffled dress before pausing. "So, Hitoshi-kun?"

_"Yeah?"_

"You're okay with…with taking a step forward in this direction?"

This time, there was a nervous chuckle over the phone. _"Not sure. But I'm willing to try. Let's just take our time. And I have the day off from training today. Aizawa said as much."_

That was an extra reminder to make Aizawa-sensei some good chocolate-almond nut cookies. "Got it. And, Hitoshi-kun?"

_"What is it?"_

I tugged the dress off the clothes hanger I found it on before smiling. "I love you!"

* * *

Classes on Monday seemed normal to Kirishima. The usual English from Mic-sensei and Modern Art Hero History from Midnight-sensei were the standard, and once Aizawa-sensei finished going over a powerpoint slide, the bell rang.

"Alright, class, it's lunch. Get going," Aizawa-sensei droned as always, and he leveled a red-eyed stare to everyone in the room. "Make sure not to cause trouble."

"Got it, Sensei!" everyone said in unison, and Kirishima made sure to say his especially loud. Crimson Riot would've probably done the same thing in his heyday, so best to mimic. Thankfully, Aizawa-sensei did seem to not mind it, if his lazy glance at Kirishima was any indication.

With that said and done, Aizawa proceeded to slip into his yellow sleeping bag and lie down behind the teacher's desk while the students proceeded to disperse with the second ring of the bell.

"Bakugo, do you want to eat toge—" Kirishima found himself stopping once a hand clapped down on his shoulder. He looked up, and Shinsō returned his stare with a shrug and a smirk. "Whoa. Hey, Shinsō! What's up?"

"Not much," he said casually, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand while letting go of Kirishima's shoulder. "Just wanted to tell you thanks."

"For what?"

Shinsō's smirk transformed into a humble smile. "Hoshino," he said simply.

Even if Kirishima was out of it from the day being Monday, _that _name clued him in almost immediately. "Oh yeah, no problem! Did her confession work?"

Shinsō's pale cheeks flushes a light pink and that merely confirms Kirishima's suspicions. He grins and adds, "Congrats!"

"Th-Thanks," Shinsō coughs into his fist before discreetly glancing at the door. "But don't be surprised if a gift comes your way. Right about…"

Kirishima blinks. "Uh, what do you mean by that—"

The classroom doors slide open and two _pink _hair ribbons flop through the opening.

"Right about now," Shinsō finishes, and there's no missing the fond tone in his voice.

"Hm," goes a _high-pitched _voice around the door and then Hoshino herself is poking her head through, looking around before her eyes land on Kirishima and Shinsō. The sparkles flying off her become _obvious _once Kirishima can see his reflection in her stare. "Kiri-san! Hitoshi-kun!"

"K-Kiri-san?" Kirishima repeats before getting up from his seat with a warm grin, just in time for Hoshino to flit over to them, a happy smile of her own stretching her cheeks. "Oh, whatever! What's going on, Hoshino?"

"Oh, nothing~" she hums, and she eagerly hugs Shinsō first before going over to him and staring for a second. "Hm."

"Uh, Hoshino?"

She smiles happy whites at him before fumbling with her school bag to pull out a small gift bag of…granola balls? "I call these granola bites. They have my homemade chocolate mixed in with some honey and almonds to get that extra protein when you exercise. As thanks for last week!" Hoshino gently drops the bag into Kirishima's open hands, and he stares at the gift for a moment.

"…Hoshino, you didn't have to."

"But I _wanted _to!" she insists in that same happy voice, and Kirishima blinks. The way her blue eyes are sparkling reminds him of _Ashido, _at least for a second. "You're my friend and you helped me out when I was in a pinch! And—" she pouts while putting a hand on her hip, "weren't you the one who said it's manly to help friends out?"

Shinsō snickered. "Hoshino. Tone down the cheese."

"Eh?" The moment is broken and she's looking at Shinsō before shrugging. "Meh! It's the truth!"

Kirishima blinked again before feeling warmth bubble up in his chest. He wasn't surprised to find a laugh leaving his lips. "Then, thanks!"

Hoshino returns the smile before grabbing onto his hand. "So! Wanna hang out for lunch? Our table with Kei-chan and Hika-chan is still free!"

Kirishima glances over at Bakugo and he scoffs. "Go on, Kirishima."

He grinned back before returning the hand-hold. "Let's go!"

Friendship felt good.

* * *

"Oh, Aizawa-sensei?"

Eraserhead did his best to ignore the sound outside his sleeping bag, turning over in an attempt to go back to sleep. He did _not _appreciate the hand gently patting the top of his head through the fabric. "Aizawa-sensei?"

He held back a groan. "What is it, Hoshino…?"

"Cookie delivery," is the warm whisper, and Aizawa pauses.

"Just leave it outside the bag. I'll try them later."

"Okay." There's a small rustle of a plastic bag and then that hand is patting his sleeping bag again. "Have a nice nap, Sensei. And thank you."

Aizawa waits for Hoshino to stand up and walk out of the classroom before he opens his sleeping bag to peek out. Sure enough, there's a see-through indigo gift bag waiting for him outside, and he reaches over to untie the ribbon. Doing so revealed cat-shaped cookies, chocolate chips and almonds and all.

With a roll of his eyes, he reached over to take a cookie. The cat face made up of almonds and chips looked like it was smiling, so he could do nothing but reach over and lightly bite the ear to start things off.

"Hm. Dark chocolate." He chewed for a moment before taking another bite. "It's good. Still warm."

Another reminder to thank his husband later for bringing Hoshino to his attention in the first place.

Shinsō deserved someone in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The radio part? It was inspired by cloud-nine-and-three-quarter's Canary fanfic. And, as a quick bit of trivia: my writing of CP Kakashi and Shinsō are inspired by my own loving boyfriend, Leo~! Kirishima? It's Josh.
> 
> This story is turning into a giant word monster in its own right. And midterms give plenty of stress for me to write out words. (43 pages on Google Docs, holy shit, when was the last time I did that…?)
> 
> See you all at the next update!


	10. Short Story 1: To Be in Better Spirits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was inspired by episode 7 of MHA Season 4. I read the original manga chapter so many times, the animation made me want to cry a little. Time to get out of this rut a bit with some writing. It might be needed more than I initially thought since Midoriya Izuku himself has not seen much time in Chocolate Seashell. Here we go.
> 
> This was originally posted on Tumblr back on Nov 30, 2019, but here's to sharing everywhere else.

_Short Story 1: To Be in Better Spirits_

A small baggie was in front of his katsudon. Izuku found himself looking at it for a second before jolting. It was purple tied with a pink ribbon and Izuku could've sworn it wasn't there before. He didn't order anything extra from Lunch Rush. When did it show up? Heck, where did it come from?

"Midoriya-san?"

Izuku looked up to see blue eyes staring at him. Hoshino-san's lips were pursued in a thin line as she blinked at him, her pink hair ribbons framing her face as she leaned in— _holy shit, _she was close. Not as close as Uraraka-san, but _close. _"Midoriya-san? Are you okay?"

"H-Hoshino-san?!" His feet made him jump up before reacting, but once she opened her mouth to gape wordlessly, he sat back down as quickly as he could. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay, but, wait," his gaze darted between his lunch tray and her eyes, and Hoshino-san merely stared at him. "When did you get there? A-And, was this gift bag yours?"

To his surprise, Hoshino-san smiled. It was a small gesture, barely stretching her cheeks, but it was a smile that reminded Izuku of his mom back home. It was a gentle and kind smile. "Just a few minutes ago," she cradled her lunch bag to her chest, shrugging. "And that gift bag is full of cookies and yours now, Midoriya-san."

His heart leapt out of his ribs. "Wh-Why?"

"Why not?" A giggle left her this time and Izuku could've sworn it sounded nervous. "I-It kinda looked like you needed it because when I passed by, you haven't even touched your rice."

Izuku could feel his cheeks start to heat up. Glancing at his bowl confirmed it, as, sure enough, not a single grain of his katsudon was disturbed and the bag in front of his bowl of miso soup seemed all the more startling. "I-I'll eat, I'll eat, Hoshino-san! Really, I'm okay! You don't have to give me something like this!"

Hoshino shook her head. "It's not an issue of 'have to,' Midoriya-san." She reached over and gently poked his head, smile widening on her lips. "I _wanted to. _Okay?"

Izuku felt his mouth go dry.

"Sure, I don't know that much about what's going on. After all," she pulled her pointer finger back, glancing away with a small tilt of her head. "I'm the one who chose not to be a Hero. But supporting a Hero, supporting a friend of a friend," she turned back to him and in that moment, Izuku could've sworn her blue eyes shined. "It's the right thing to do and I wanted to. Okay?"

The chaotic feelings in his heart, the turmoil that came with work-studies and being All Might's successor, it spilled over a little bit, right then and there.

Izuku lowered his head and gently took the bag into his hands, trying not to cry. "Th-Thank you, Hoshino-san. Thank you."

Arms were suddenly wrapping around his shoulders and a cheek was on top of Izuku's head before he could react. "Aye," she said gently, nodding into his hair. "It's the least I could do. Keep up your spirit with the cookies, okay? I'll make more if you need it again." The grip was warm, as shaky as it was. "Oh, I-I'm sorry for hugging you so suddenly. I can let go?"

Izuku, as embarrassed as he was at _a girl _hugging him, shook his head. "I-It's okay, Hoshino-san. Heroes need hugs too…"

The hands around his shoulders stilled before tightening their grip, a warm breath brushing his hair. "Aye aye then. Take as long as you need, Midoriya-san."

Izuku had a feeling he had just made Hoshino-san's day with those words. The hug, her reply — it all provided a light and fuzzy feeling that was in no way unwelcomed.

* * *

In any other case, Uraraka would've felt uncomfortable. But when it was Tomo-chan…

"Hm? What is it, Ochako-chan?"

Uraraka shrugged with a bright smile before reaching over to hug her by the waist. "You're too good for us Heroes, Tomo-chan."

Tomo-chan squeaked as always before relaxing. Contrary to their many interactions before, she reached over to press a hand to Uraraka's shoulder, immediately returning the hug. "I try to be, Ochako-chan. I try to be." There was a pregnant pause before she added, "…Do you want a baggie too, Ochako-chan?"

"Yes, please."


	11. Short Story 2: In Another Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Even in a different universe, as a different self, some things never change.
> 
> This was originally written back in Dec 10, 2019 and posted on Tumblr. I'm not proud of it, and it's definitely not aged well, but Chocolate Seashell needed an update, so I'm providing.
> 
> CW for implied verbal and emotional abuse.

_Short Story 2: In Another Place_

_In another place, I once thought about ending things._

_About disappearing, about going away._

_No one needed me. That's what I thought._

"What the hell are you doing? Don't fall behind."

_His voice. It's been years, but I can still remember it well. Originally kind, but turned cruel because of my mistakes. Of my ignorance._

"Oi, Ty, don't be like that towards my sis! She's still learning!"

"Not learning fast enough, in my opinion."

_I don't think Nii noticed, even back then. I don't know if he did._

"Now that's going too far. She's still a kid, Ty."

A scoff. "But she still has potential with her athletic ability, Jack. What else is she going to do with it? She can't keep following your shadow forever."

"Hey…"

_It was easy to fake a smile. After all, even if it hurt hearing all the bad words, he was still Nii's friend. Nii still cared for him, and his words were still the truth. There was nothing I could do but smile through it._

"I-It's okay, Nii, really. I still got a long way to go."

_That's how it went. Hiding tears, putting on a smile, making sure Nii was happy with Mama and Papa, with Marie-bachan and everyone else._

_I was just a little girl in the end. Lacking all the power of her Heroic father and inheriting chocolate instead. What could anyone do with that?_

"Don't just keep relying on sweets. It won't save anyone in the end. And stop making yourself out like a mouse to be protected! You're not a child! Jack is not a knight and you're not a princess! Get a grip on reality for fuck's sake!"

_I don't know who said that he needed to go first. I knew he had to go, but it took a lot to decide on it. But once the tears became too much, my memory blurs after that._

"Who did this to you, baby? Who hurt you?"

"J-J—"

"_Who, _Tomo?"

"Just let me handle it, Nii, _please!_ D-Don't… don't ask that right now. Please."

_I don't remember much aside from saying a formal goodbye and deleting his contact information from my phone. If Papa noticed, he didn't say anything, merely offering me a mandatory break day from the cafe every week and letting me play the piano at night since then._

_I don't know if Nii ever cut him off in the end. But the family seemed more careful, more cautious after that. I didn't go out much aside from grocery shopping because home at least was safe. He never intruded into home._

_I would've been fine living in a corner, away from him, away from the world._

_Except for one person._

"Hey, is that Kingdom Hearts you're playing?"

Messy black hair. Curious black eyes. A scar running across her nose and going up to her forehead as far as I could see. A white and blue hoodie, accompanied by a crooked smile.

"Y-Yeah. Why?"

"Not much. Just wanted to say you do good."

_She didn't have to come in the way she did. But she wormed her way into my heart, faster than he ever did and the next thing I knew—_

"You haven't been to a bookstore?"

"N-Not exactly. I've been with Nii and Mama to get some music books to keep up my studies, but never really my own…"

"Then let's go, Tomo! Nothing stopping you from trying it now!"

_She was the first one outside my family to use that name. She was the first one to hate him for me._

"S-So… that's how it went."

"Welp. He sounds like an absolute douchebag I want to deck with a bus."

"Eh?!"

"Tomo. He was a cruel and petty person who hurt you. He shouldn't be given the time of day."

"…"

_I don't think I ever heard anyone but Nii like that. She was different. She changed things._

"Hey, Tomo?"

"Hm?"

"There's someone I want you to meet. He likes cats too. I'd think you would get along."

"R-Really?"

"Shinsō Hitoshi. It's… nice to meet you."

_She was the one to push me forward._

_In another place, I once thought about ending things._

_In this place, I still think about it sometimes. About disappearing from everyone's lives like a butterfly from the movies. But I know I can't and I always come back._

"Tomo?" A hand gently bapped the top of my hair, making me wince and look up into black eyes. Even as a teenager, they hadn't changed. "What're you doing?"

She was still here.

"Not much." A smile came up to my face. "It's good to see you, Kei!"

I got a crooked smile back.

_There's people around me that would be sad if I left. So I'll stay. She at least taught me the beginnings of looking outside my walls._

_I'm not perfect. I'm still growing._

_But I can try to be enough for her, for all of them, at least._


	12. Short Story 3: Testing the Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was inspired by some of the first conversations I had with Leo during the early stages of our relationship. Pre-first kiss. :p Self-care means writing things like this, people!
> 
> Originally posted on Tumblr back on Nov 30, 2019. Edited Nov 23, 2020 because formatting took out some of the emojis. =.=

_Short Story 3: Testing the Waters_

**Purble: **Wh— What is this.

**LittleKey: **?

**Purble: **I thought that the names were just with Kei-san

**Purble: **Hoshino why do u have them?

**LittleKey: **…

**LittleKey: **Is it bad for me to admit that I have no clue?  
**LittleKey: **I got this handle from Kei because Nii calls me "little sis" all the time, and since I apparently "unlock" hearts, it worked…  
**LittleKey: **I think it's a pun on how I'm the shortest out of the family

**LittleKey: **I barely reach Hika-chan's nose, so…

**LittleKey: **I don't know how it spread to my phone and our talk right now.

**Purble: **…I cant even

**LittleKey: **On a lighter note?

**Purble: **yeah?

**LittleKey: **It's good to hear from you. :)  
**LittleKey: **How are you doing?

**Purble: **A little peachy from name things, but I'm fine.  
**Purble: **What about you?

**LittleKey: **｜−・;）

**LittleKey: **Tempted to hide?  
**Purble: **why

**LittleKey: **…bc it still feels like a dream  
**Purble: **whats "it"?

**LittleKey: **That you're my boyfriend now

**Purble: **…

**LittleKey: **I-I get it, it's only been a couple days, we still see each other at school, but you're really good to me and it's hard to believe  
**LittleKey: **A-And it's not because of quirk things or anything, it's just, it's _you, _Hitoshi-kun — you're amazing and I don't know what to do when standing next to you

**LittleKey: **(〃ー〃)

**LittleKey: **L-Like, what is a good girlfriend supposed to do?

**Purble: **…

**Purble: **Tomo.  
**Purble: **Being in a relationship is not a job.

**LittleKey: **O-Oh  
**LittleKey: **It still takes work, though, and I wanna treat you right  
**LittleKey: **Especially after everything you've told me about people in the past  
**LittleKey: **You deserve better

**Purble: **Not that I'm not happy, but hey

**Purble: **We deserve each other, Tomo, get it through your head

**LittleKey: **o-oh

**Purble: **Relationships aren't supposed to go at full-throttle speed

**Purble: **I'm just surprised you're not reacting to the nickname

**LittleKey: **W-WAIT a second!  
**LittleKey: **(⊙ᗜ⊙)

**LittleKey: **I-I had to go read the backlog for a minute, but but

**LittleKey: **You used my nickname!

**Purble: **Is there a problem with that?

**LittleKey: **N-No, nononono, I just had an idea with that!

_*Purble has been changed to Hii-kun*_

**Hii-kun: **…What is this?

**LittleKey: **I… kinda shorten all my loved ones' names to make nicknames and just came up with that for you?

**LittleKey: **If you don't like it, I can change it back!

**Hii-kun: **…

**Hii-kun: **youre hopeless, you know that, right?

**LittleKey: **Um

**Hii-kun: **I'm still surprised it took you so long to notice I changed the way I call you  
**Hii-kun: **Just like your brother  
**LittleKey: **I dunno what to make of that…

**LittleKey: **I wanna ask what Nii did to you, but anywho  
**LittleKey: **did you want me to change the name back?

**Hii-kun: **Nah

**LittleKey: **E-Eh?

**Hii-kun: **Hii-kun is fine.  
**Hii-kun: **Makes me feel closer to you

**LittleKey: **(⊙ᗜ⊙)

**LittleKey: **(*≧▽≦)

**LittleKey: **we're total dorks!

**Hii-kun: **yep

**LittleKey: **Hey, Hii-kun?

**Hii-kun: **yeah?

**LittleKey: **Thank you.  
**LittleKey: **For being with me, for liking me, for staying with me.  
**LittleKey: **( 〃．．)

**LittleKey: **Just wanted to say that.

**Hii-kun: **( ￣ー￣)σ

**Hii-kun: **Doofus.

**Hii-kun: **Save that for when we see each other again

**LittleKey: **♡＾▽＾♡****

**LittleKey: **Aye aye, Hii-kun!

**LittleKey: **⊂(・﹏・⊂)

**Hii-kun: **Are you seriously asking for a hug in text form?

**LittleKey: **⊂(・▽・⊂)

**LittleKey: **Aye!

**Hii-kun: **Please do not reference that blue flying cat.

**LittleKey:** Eh—  
**Hii-kun: **(っ⇀`皿′↼)っ

**LittleKey: **(゜ロ゜)

**LittleKey: ヽ(o♡o)/**

**LittleKey: **I'll bring cookies for your lunch tomorrow!

**Hii-kun: **Tomo. GO TO SLEEP.

**LittleKey: **…Whoops

* * *

**Chargebolt: **Congrats on the relationship, Shinsō!

**Chargebolt: **Have you two kissed yet?  
**MindBlank: **…why is it your business to ask, Kaminari?

**Chargebolt: **Hey! Bros over hoes, so I can ask!

**MindBlank: **Please do not call Tomo a "hoe" ever again  
**MindBlank: **And it's a "no" to your q

**Chargebolt: **Shit.

**Chargebolt: **Sorry bro

**MindBlank: **It's fine. I can take something in my life slow, it's just not my Hero life

**Chargebolt: **tots valid

**RedRiot: **when was i invited?

**Chargebolt: **just now

**MindBlank: **hey Kirishima

**RedRiot: **hey Shinsō! hey Kaminari!

**RedRiot: **congrats on the relationship!

**MindBlank: **you're the second person from our class to tell me that, but thanks

**Chargebolt: (^_<)～☆**

**Chargebolt: **Soooo

**Chargebolt: **any thoughts on how you're gonna initiate that first kiss?

**RedRiot: **Uh

**RedRiot: **is that necessary to think about?

**MindBlank: **that's my question

**MindBlank: **why

**Chargebolt: **ohmigod

**Chargebolt: **I know two out of the three people in this chat are single, but still

**Chargebolt: **you both do realize that first kisses really decide how relationships go, right?

**MindBlank: **aside from setting up boundaries?

**RedRiot: **yeaaaaaaah

**MindBlank: **but seriously

**MindBlank: **why

**Chargebolt: **girls swoon with the right kiss!

**RedRiot: **uh

**MindBlank: **ఠ ͟ಠ

**MindBlank: **I'm out


	13. Short Story 4: Half-Half, All-Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was inspired by my muse and my finishing watching Season 2 of the anime. Roughly based on an experience I had while in Australia, where my dad let me rest my eyes after dealing with a Surprise Encounter of his old friends ambushing the travel group with their kids for social meetings. Low social batteries are rough.
> 
> Not beta-read and only edited by me, so please bear with it. Only CW is for the occasional use of language. The only short story with a theme so far, being the theme for the Melody Town level in Kirby's Epic Yarn.
> 
> Please thank Todoroki Shōto for getting me back into this fandom. :)

_Short Story 4: Half-Half, All-Warm_

It took a moment to realize my fingers were cold and stiff against the piano keys. It took another moment for my eyelids to droop, vision blurring.

_Gosh darn it…_

Exhaustion wasn't exactly new. It was something everyone dealt with. But recently, it seemed to come about more often after performances in the café on my part. It almost always happened after performances that I could've handled with enthusiasm when I was little. Now I just couldn't muster that energy, even if I wanted to, with all my soul. Why was it that after pouring out my heart for so long, my mind couldn't keep up anymore when growing up?

_So frustrating._

Once I could faintly feel my head start to bob from my trying not to nod off, a hand was gently pressing against the small of my back and keeping me sitting up straight on the piano bench. "You look like you need a break, sweetheart," Mama's voice said clearly in spite of all the haze, her touch comforting. "C'mon."

"Okay…"

The hand moved up my back and wrapped around my shoulders, gently guiding me to my feet as I could barely keep my eyes open. We walked together, my leaning on Mama more than anything else, before the wind blew in my face and I squinted my eyes shut. The sound of doors closing behind us echoed in my ears, alongside what seemed to be something getting pulled over, and then the hand at my shoulders _pushed._

My back gently hit a cushion once my legs gave out, a blanket hitting my knees once they did, and it took a moment for my mind to register I was in a chair. "Rest here for the rest of your shift, sweetie," Mama whispered, and the blanket shifted to cover the bottom half of my torso. The kimono dress normally would've given enough, but I wasn't going to complain when she was worried. "I'll get you if anything happens."

_Code for 'rest up and don't think about anything,' I guess. Am I that bad at self-care?_

No answer.

Even if a part of me felt weird and _wrong _for taking a break, my mind didn't seem to agree because my eyes were already glued shut with my ears all open to take in the quiet hubbub. In my meager defense, the blanket was warm and the cushion against my back made the café chair Mama picked out feel cozy.

Maybe, with nothing to see, I could fool myself into taking a nap and not feeling guilty about it.

Chatter filtered in and out of my ears, my head barely registering the window behind me as the world started to flicker.

"Can I sit here?"

_"Muuu…?" _ _Okay, who is interrupting—_

I opened my eyes and stopped whatever rude thought was on the tip of my tongue once my mind recognized the UA High uniform. With the prominent burn scar on the right eye and the red-white hair — yep.

Todoroki Shōto was standing in front of the café I called home and in any other situation, I might've nearly disrespected him. Verbally too. _Shit._

"Todo—" I cut myself off once a yawn left my throat, and my vision blurred for a bit. Well, _double shit. _"Shōto-san?" Hii-kun did mention that it was Todoroki's hero name. It was still a bit jarring, using his first name when we weren't past "acquaintance-basis" yet, and judging by the shuffling near my right side, Todoroki felt the same way. "Sure, go ahead…"

Darn social battery and lack of energy.

"You don't have to call me by my Hero name, Hoshino." Huh. Another person using my surname. Todoroki seemed a bit distant just saying that, but then again… "Even if I have my Provisional License, I'm off duty," he said dryly. "Todoroki is fine."

"Todoroki-san, then…" I closed my eyes once he took a nearby seat. "I would…normally offer you a drink or any kind of service, but I'm out of it right now…"

It took a moment for the atmosphere to settle in. "We're…outside of Nagareboshi Café right now," Todoroki said after an adequate pause.

_Oh. Um… _And here I thought I had a bad social battery. "'Out of it' means 'I'm tired' in this case, Todoroki-san," I said patiently, trying not to slur my words. "I've just had a long day today…"

"Oh," he replied succinctly. After another moment, barely interrupted by an absent yawn on my end, there was a faint echo of something skidding across the floor. A chair? I guess he took me up on my offer of sitting close by. "If you need to rest, I can go elsewhere."

"I mean…" I halfheartedly opened one eye to glance at him, smiling weakly. Not enough energy to wave a hand at him in reassurance — darn. "I _am_ on break, but you're not bothering me, Todoroki-san. Thankie for the consideration, but hey… Do you need a break too?"

Past his bangs, I could see his heterochromatic eyes widen slightly in surprise at my question. One brown-gray, one turquoise. As soon as they did, he turned his head away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kind of," he offered in lieu of an answer. "I—I didn't realize you worked here, Hoshino."

"Only on Friday nights and weekends," I said in the barest volume node above a whisper, my battery sputtering in and out of the situation no thanks to lack of energy. I had a feeling that, if not for Todoroki-san choosing to sit next to me, I would've fallen asleep in a heartbeat. "My parents own the café and it's a family business. Since moving into the dorms, I haven't been able to help as much…"

"Huh," he said thoughtfully. "I see."

"Could I ask you something then, Todoroki-san…?" left me in a small breath before I could think otherwise. I kept my eyes closed to hide the bit of nervousness surfacing, no thanks to social anxiety popping up.

"What is it?"

"Why did you come by the café, then?"

There was a soft _scritch, scratch _noise that seemed to suggest Todoroki was scratching the back of his scalp. "It wasn't on purpose," he said, dragging out the last word in what seemed to be him in deep thought. "Needed to get away from people for a while."

Even with the lingering feeling I hit on a loaded subject, a tired sigh left my lips. "You and me both, then…"

"You too?"

I weakly shrugged while tugging at the blanket on my legs to better cover myself. "Helping people can get exhausting, Quirk usage factored in or not…"

A soft sigh echoed from my side. "Maybe," Todoroki-san acquiesced after a second, a _creak _signaling some kind of movement on his end before I could feel one end of the blanket on me get tugged upwards. "Rest, then."

"Trying, but thankie…"

Once I was adequately tucked in, Todoroki-san went quiet again, and I practiced deep breathing to try helping the sleep come by faster.

A thought occurred to me after a long period of adequately "vibing with another person" silence, and my mouth opened. "Thankie again, Todoroki-san."

He exhaled softly. "For what?"

"For remembering my name."

Todoroki-san, even without my eyes open, certainly seemed perplexed at my answer if his deeper voice was any indication. "You visit our classroom almost every day," he mused, the saying accompanied by a questioning tug on my blanket to further tuck me in for warmth away from the winter air. He probably remembered the flying tackle hugs I gave to Hii-kun on a daily basis then. Well. "And you intern with Recovery Girl. There's no way I _wouldn't _remember, Hoshino."

"Still," I said softly, holding back a yawn. "You did, and I'm grateful for that. So just let me thank you, Todoroki-san."

Todoroki-san made a noise that sounded like he exhaled through his nose. "…You sound like you've had it rough," he said mildly.

"Not as much as everyone else," left me in a tired breath. "Not as much as you."

After all, being the "prodigal" son of _Endeavor _had to come with some kind of baggage, and considering the footage of Class A's Sports Festival back when they were all first years — it was baggage that I knew I wouldn't be able to help with on my own. After all, I wasn't a therapist. I was just a General Studies student who cared too much and let sympathy turn into empathy far too often. Reaching out to everyone would be impossible.

But for one person, one person who knew my friends as classmates, maybe—

"Life isn't…" Todoroki-san took a breath as his chair _creaked _again, interrupting my train of thought. "It isn't a competition."

"Yeah…" A soft noise caught between a yawn and a sigh left my throat. I opted to snuggle into the blanket. "It isn't. But that doesn't make either of our experiences invalid…"

Todoroki-san sighed, too. "True," he admitted.

I squinted my eyes shut while attempting to change the subject because this was getting awkward. "When I'm more awake…"

"Yes?"

"I can make chocolate for you if you want, Todoroki-san."

Todoroki-san tugged at my blanket to get my attention, and I opened one eye to humor him. Even with blurry vision, the small crick at the corner of his lips made him look thoughtful. He apparently did not mind how my proposition came completely out of the blue (which it kinda did, when looking back on it). "Not when you're this tired," he said in total deadpan, contrasting the soft look in his heterochromatic eyes, "Recovery Girl mentioned your Quirk makes worse-tasting chocolate the more tired you are."

"To be more specific," I tried not to slur my words, blinking both eyes rapidly in an attempt to keep up in the conversation, "I _did _say I'd make it when I'm more awake. I know my ChocoTouch can leave bad aftertastes…"

"At least you're aware of it," he allowed, letting go of my blanket before awkwardly patting my shoulder. The touch was warm, as if flames had accompanied his fingers right before he made physical contact. "But you look like you need more rest than me, Hoshino. So go sleep."

I did my best to cover my yawn. "Aye aye, Cap'n Todoroki…"

Todoroki-san huffed out a breath that sounded very close to a laugh through my muddled hearing. "I'm not a captain, Hoshino."

"It was a joke…"

Todoroki-san exhaled softly. "Alright."

We fell silent again. The wind passed between us, making our breaths come out in soft white clouds from the cold, and I tried to sink into the blanket some more. But before I lost myself to sleep, one last thought graced my mind and I felt myself voice it without questioning it. "All-Warm."

"Huh?"

"Your Quirk, Todoroki-san," I felt myself laugh quietly. "They call it 'Half-Cold, Half-Hot,' but it doesn't fully encompass your personality of 'All-Warm.' And you are warm."

The one time he had patted my shoulder had left a soft tingling feeling that made me feel like I had laid in front of a campfire, after all. Heck, it was still there, sparkling and soft and just cozy. "Isn't that…" Todoroki-san went quiet, as if struggling with his words, before saying, "Isn't that just how you feel, Hoshino?"

"It is and it's supposed to be a good thing," I said sleepily. "Fact or not. 'Warm people have warm hearts,' or so the saying goes. I think I said it wrong, but…" One last yawn brought tears to the corners of my eyes, forcing me to close them and render me unable to see Todoroki's expression. "You're All-Warm and already a Hero to me, Todoroki-san…"

Once the familiar darkness of sleep finally kicked in, I could've sworn a hand was tugging at my blanket again to bring it up to my chin, a soft, "Sleep well," echoing above my hair. Who knows. Sleep was a beast I could never defeat.

By the time I woke up to Mama's hand on my head, Todoroki-san was gone from the café entrance, his empty seat holding nothing but a note that said in neat scrawled handwriting, _"Thank you."_ The only other sign that he had been present was the UA High jacket left hanging on top of the blanket Mama had left me, gold rivets and all.

Even though a part of me felt like I hadn't thanked him enough for the company, I'd take it.


End file.
